BRIDGEPORT - The Health Net Nutmeg State Games will bring back an Olympic tradition by including a Torch Run as part of 2006 Opening Ceremonies on Sunday, July 30.
BRIDGEPORT â The Health Net Nutmeg State Games will bring back an Olympic tradition by including a Torch Run as part of 2006 Opening Ceremonies on Sunday, July 30.
The Torch Run is a traditional relay to promote the spirit of the Games. Athletes run with the torch for a designated distance and then pass the torch while running through several towns to better promote community support for all athletes participating in the Games.
The Torch Run will begin at 4:30 pm with a brief ceremony at Norwalk City Hall and then follow Route 1 through Westport and Fairfield. The last runner will arrive at approximately 7 pm in Bridgeport at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, where the Health Net Nutmeg State Games Fan Fest and Opening Ceremonies are being held.
Torch runners include: John Loeser, a recent graduate of Weston High, who earned All-State and All-New England track honors this year; Sean Phillips, captain of 2006 Fairfield Prep cross country team; John Dugdale, a 71-year-old Ridgefield resident who is one of the areaâs top master runners; and Stamford resident Mia Schipani.
The last stretch of the relay will be run by John Amoroso, a seventh-grader from Stratford who was the 2005 Nutmeg State Games Inspiration Award winner. Approximately six additional Torch Runners are to be determined.
The Health Net Nutmeg State Games Fan Fest will begin at 5 pm outside the Arena at Harbor Yard and is free to the public. Opening Ceremonies will begin at 7:30 pm.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children, 12 years and under.
The lighting of the Health Net Nutmeg State Games caldron will take place at approximately 9:00 pm followed by a 15-minute fireworks display.
The Health Net Nutmeg State Games is in its eighteenth year is the largest amateur sporting event in Connecticut.
The Health Net Nutmeg State Games will be held at multiple venues throughout Fairfield County from July 29 through August 6.
The Games are an Olympic-style competition for Connecticut amateur athletes, primarily between the ages of 8 to 18 years old.
More than 6,000 athletes, 1,500 volunteers, and 30,000 spectators are expected to participate in and attend the Games this summer.
The Games are endorsed by the Governorâs Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and recognized by the National Congress of State Games and United States Olympic Committee.
They are also a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt corporation governed by a thirty-five member board. The Games were founded by William G. Mudano, Executive Director.
  The offices of the Health Net Nutmeg State Games are located in East Hartford with a ten person staff and thousands of volunteers who help make the Health Net Nutmeg State Games possible.