For the 25^th year in a row, Special Olympics Georgia and Cobb County come together to welcome almost 3,000 athletes and unified partners and over 900 volunteers to the State Indoor Winter Games and the Southeast Powerlifting Competition.

Athletes from Georgia will go for the gold as they compete to be number one in basketball, bowling, floor hockey and gymnastics. Our local powerlifters will then be joined by athletes from Special Olympics Alabama, Special Olympics Florida, Special Olympics North Carolina, Special Olympics South Carolina and Special Olympics Tennessee to compete in a variety of powerlifting events.

"We are excited to start 2017 with our continued friendship and partnership with Cobb County, and welcome our friends and fellow athletes from across the Southeast," commented Georgia Milton-Sheats, CEO of Special Olympics Georgia. "We hope to provide not only an arena for athletes to compete in, but a community for all athletes to form bonds of friendships."

The Games' Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Cobb County Civic Center. Area radio personality Moby will return as the Master of Ceremonies, while the Grand Marshal will be Special Olympics Georgia's own Evan Hodge, a 2017 World Winter Games Representative.

Competitions will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various locations. The venues include: Cobb Gymnastics Center (gymnastics), Marietta Middle School (floor hockey), Ron Anderson Recreation Center, Ward Recreation Center and Fair Oaks Community Center (traditional team basketball), Smyrna Community Center (unified team basketball), Windy Hill Athletic Club (3-on-3 basketball), Fair Oaks Community Center (basketball individual skills), the Salvation Army and Ward Recreation Center (basketball team skills), Brunswick Zone Austell and Marietta AMF Lanes (bowling) and Cobb County Civic Center (powerlifting).