The countdown is on for the Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games. Each year, Eversource hosts the Cross Country and Snowshoeing events at their Windsor location.
Leading up to the Winter Games on Feb. 28 and March 1, volunteers pack the course with man-made snow.
“I’ll do anything I can to make sure we have enough snow,” said Andy Ouellette, lead safety advisor for Eversource Electric Operations.
Ouellette is working with others to create the perfect powder for the 170 athletes scheduled to compete on the course next month. They fired up the snow guns on Tuesday and plan to put in 100 hours of work to get it done before the games.
“I left here at 11:00 [p.m.], and I came back at 3:00 this morning. So, I’ve been here for a while, but Joe and Vinnie have been here all night. So, we all pitch in, we make it happen,” Ouellette said.
And the weather conditions couldn’t be more perfect for the job, which takes about five months to put into practice.
“Yeah, it’s an old school New England winter. The last five or six years, it’s been too warm,” Ouellette said.
But the real warmth comes when the Winter Games begin, with the athletes skiing and snowshoeing their way into winning medals.
“Really, that’s what it’s all about, is seeing these athletes competing, their extraordinary skill, being able to show those skills to their families and friends, to cheering crowds, and then those smiling faces when they get those medals. It’s the best feeling,” said Jamie Ratliff, a spokesperson for Eversource.
A feeling that wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers.
“The snow makers are really the heart of putting together the Winter Games. Without the snow, you can’t have the snowshoeing, you can’t have the cross-country skiing, and they miraculously make it happen every single year,” Ratliff said.
“They have the greatest time. Then they go get their awards, and people come up and say thank you. What more could you ask for?” Ouellette said.
The Winter Games are also taking place at Powder Ridge in Middlefield, Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, Farmington Valley Gymnastics & More in Plainville, and the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury.
NBC and Telemundo Connecticut are also proud sponsors of the event.
