While the rain poured down at the Iowa Special Olympics Summer Games, it did not wash away smiles or dampen spirits at the annual event.

“It went extremely well,” Rich Fellingham, Special Olympics executive director, said of the games, which were held on the ISU campus last Thursday through Saturday. “We have a rain plan for each event, and we executed it and they all went off without a hitch.”

As a result of the rainy weather, opening ceremonies were moved inside to Hilton Coliseum. President Martin Jischke and Athletic Director Gene Smith were among the ISU administrators who were present.

A dance was held after the ceremony, and athlete Muriel Bush from the Penn Center in Delhi said she thought it was the best part of the evening.

“We waited for a long time in line to get in the building,” she said.

Friday, the gray skies cleared, and all competitions took place in the regularly scheduled locations. One of the most crowded venues was Lied Recreation Center, site of the track and field events.

Edward Fabing, a veteran Olympian also from the Penn Center in Delhi, competed in the 50-yard dash and placed second. Afterward, he relaxed outside with his coach and teammates.

“I’ve been doing these for many a years,” he said. “I’ve done almost all the events, and I’ll keep doing it. I’m goin’ all the way.”

Both Bush and Fabing prepared for their events before coming to Ames.

“We were practicing,” Bush said.

Jim Johnson, an eighth-grade student at Nevada Middle School, was among the hundreds of volunteers at the track and field competition Friday.

“It’s a great experience,” Johnson said of his first time volunteering. “I haven’t done anything like this before.”

There were a variety of jobs for the volunteers to do, including lining up athletes for their races, encouraging the athletes, helping at the awards stand and passing out medals.

“People came to me and congratulated me and everything,” Fabing said.

Fellingham, who said before he became the executive director he volunteered for 12 years, was working at Lied Recreation Center.

“I guess I’m kinda like all the other volunteers,” he said. “Most volunteers tell you this, ‘You volunteer once and you get hooked.’ And that happened to me about 16 years ago.”

Medals were given out to all participants, and Johnson said he believes that is the best part of the Special Olympics.

“Everyone is a winner,” he said.