Hermon Mt. Hosts Special Olympics Penobscot Area Winter Games This Week

This past week, the Special Olympics Of The Penobscot Area Winter Games took place at Hermon Mountain.

According to Wendy Gilbert, Co-area Manager of the Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock County Special Olympics, the two-day event, which this year took place this past Monday and Tuesday, has been happening at Hermon Mountain for about 15 years now.

"This was the first year running, post-covid...This year we had 150 athletes, anywhere from school age up to adults."

"We offer snowshoe, downhill and adaptive skiing, and Nordik/ Cross Country skiing."

Gilbert says their biggest event is the snowshoe, and athletes were also able to compete in speed-skating competitions at Sawyer arena.

Participants start training for these winter events about 8 weeks before they take place and come from all over the 3 counties of Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock.

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Bill Whitcomb, who runs Hermon Mountain with his family, said it was good to see all the athletes and volunteers return for the events this year.

"That is probably one of the most rewarding parts of doing the Special Olympics. The conditions were perfect; nice, and warm. Everybody got to go and participate and have a great time. I'm not sure if the competitors or the volunteers had the best time."

Members of law enforcement from around the area were on hand for the games, to present medals and awards.

Gilbert says the next big event for the Special Olympics of Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock County will be a swim event on March 10th at the Bangor Area YMCA, and then a huge track event in May.

To see more pictures from this year's winter events, you can check out their Facebook Page. 

For volunteer opportunities or to donate, you can check out their website directly by clicking here.