Wisconsin's Olympic Festival

The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC) is excited to announce that the 2006 Badger State Summer Games Opening Ceremony will be held at Mansfield Stadium on the campus of Madison Memorial High School. This year's event will take place on Friday, June 23, 2006. Festivities for all will start at 6:00 pm and the Ceremony will begin at 8:15 pm with TV News Anchor Eric Franke of WISC Channel 3 as this year's emcee. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

"We're very excited for this year's Ceremony," said Ron Vincent, WSDC Executive Director. "The entertainment will be great. Don Otto is bringing his trampoline comedy act from Michigan and Madison Brass will be playing during the festivities and the ceremony. We moved the event to a more central location, so it should make it more convenient for people to attend."

Eric Franke, news anchor for WISC TV will be the Emcee for the evening. "I'm flattered to be chosen as the emcee. As a former sports guy, I know how big the Badger State Games are. I'm really looking forward to the event," said Franke.

The numerous activities planned for the evening include appearances by Bucky Badger and UW athletes signing autographs and participating in kid's games along with Sport Court, USTA Tennis, Madison Ice and Boulder's Climbing Wall. Team America's Dairyland Women's Bike racing team will be distributing milk. Free food, face painting, music and dancing provided by Madison Brass will also be available. Children can participate in a scavenger hunt to enter a drawing for a free bike to be awarded during the ceremony.

The ceremony gets underway at 8:15 with the parade of athletes lead by this year's Honorary Athletes Adam and Nikki Burish, siblings who won this year's Men's and Women's National Hockey titles for UW Madison. The brother-sister duo will light the torch at the end of the Ceremony to open the Games and the grand finale fireworks display will conclude the evening.

For more scheduling information and to register for the 2006 Summer Games, log on to www.badgerstategames.org or call 608-226-4780.

The Badger State Summer Games major sponsors include American Family Insurance, Charter Communications, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Saint Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield, with special thanks to TravelWisconsin.com.

Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation is a nonprofit sports management organization that helps develop sports tourism in Wisconsin and promotes positive lifestyles and physical fitness through amateur athletic events and health education programs. WSDC owns the Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Sports Foundation, Paddle & Portage, Shape Up Wisconsin Kids, Lighten Up Wisconsin and the Fit Kids Challenge. WSDC is also the local host of Ironman Wisconsin