Although the state of Iowa is beginning to reopen, Iowa Games has made the difficult decision to cancel the majority of the sports for the 2020 Summer Iowa Games presented by Grinnell Mutual in Ames and surrounding communities due to COVID-19.
Considering the group gathering nature of this large-scale sports festival and social-distancing guidelines set forth by the governor, the Iowa Games staff, with support of the city of Ames and Iowa State University, feels it is not safe to continue to host the event this summer.
“The Summer Iowa Games takes months of coordination and a tremendous amount of effort from our staff,” commented Chuck Long, Iowa Games CEO/Executive Director. “There are still many unknowns about COVID-19 and the reopening process so we cannot justify holding the games as it puts our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and staff at risk.”
At this time, there are a few events that will still take place or that have been rescheduled. This list is subject to change as restrictions continue to change. Please check a specific sport page for details at www.iowagames.org.
Due to the nature of some events, a small number of sports may continue to be held as scheduled. These sports/events include: 3D Archery, July 25-26; Big Fish Classic, Aug. 9; Black Powder (Pistol), July 31-Aug. 2; Black Powder (Rifle), Aug. 7-9; Bocce, July 11; Bowling Districts, June 27-28 & July 11/12 (rescheduled from June); Bowling Finals, Aug. 8 (rescheduled from July 18); Bowling High School Team, Aug. 7 (rescheduled from July 17); Cycling Road Race, Aug. 2; Cycling Time Trial, Aug. 1; Disc Golf, July 18-19; Foot Golf, July 11; Golf, 4-Person Best Shot, July 19; Golf, Juniors/Pee Wee (IPGA), July 16; Golf, Juniors/Pee Wee (non-IPGA), July 15; Hoover Ball, Aug. 8; Light Saber, July 18-19; Sand Volleyball (Cedar Rapids), Aug. 15 (rescheduled from June 13); Sand Volleyball (Des Moines), July 18; Trapshooting, Aug. 15; Triathlon/Duathlon, July 12; Water Skiing, July 18-19; Whitewater Slalom, June 20.
The Iowa Games will continue to monitor the situation, and any changes to the above sports will be announced as needed.
Athletes and participants are encouraged to follow the Iowa Games on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, as virtual events may be offered this summer for some of the canceled sports.
If currently registered for an event that has been canceled, Iowa Games staff will be contacting participants regarding entry fee(s).
For more information regarding this cancellation, please visit www.iowagames.org, or email info@iowagames.org.