Kickoff Party and Opening Ceremony
Join us June 21st at the Meijer Sports Complex for the 2024 Kickoff Party and Opening Ceremony! The Opening Ceremony will begin with the athlete parade to recognize the athletes getting ready to compete. We’ll officially start the Games with the lighting of the cauldron.
Admission: Free for athletes and spectators.
Parking at the Meijer Sports Complex will be $5 per vehicle.
Note: Parking is NOT available at the Miracle League Field. The lot will not be open to athletes and spectators.
Kickoff Party starts at 6:30 pm.
Opening Ceremony start at 7:30 pm
Meijer Sports Complex
3300 10 Mile Rd NE
Rockford, MI 49341
Download the map for Opening Ceremony
Kickoff Party
The first 200 athletes to check in will receive a free commemorative ‘Fuel your Fire’ charm!
Athlete Check-in sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield
Athletes stop by athlete check-in to grab your athlete bag, credential, and raffle ticket starting at 6:30 pm.
Hockey athletes - you will get your bag and credential when you check in for your first game at your venue.
Note: you do not need to stop by athlete check-in to compete during the weekend.
Champion Bracelets
All athletes (and their friends and families) can stop by the ‘Champion Bracelet’ tent to make their own bracelet. All supplies will be provided for free.
Meet and Greet
Mackenzie Woodring, Paralympian
Mackenzie is an accomplished Paralympian and World Championship Cyclist. Stop by and meet Mackenzie during the Kickoff Party! She’ll have her bike and medals on display. Learn more about Mackenzie Woodring.
Nick Baumgartner, Olympian
Nick Baumgartner is a 4-time Olympian and became the oldest medalist in snowboarding when he won a Gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Games in Snowboardcross (SBX).
Nick’s first book Gold From Iron, co-written with Detroit Free Press senior sportswriter Jeff Seidel, hit shelves in January 2024 and quickly rose on the Amazon Best Seller list for sports books. Learn more about Nick Baumgartner.
vendors
Stop by our sponsor and vendor tents at the Kickoff Party! We will have fairlife, LMCU, Meijer, NovaCare, Quantum Health, Kendra Scott, The National Guard and Sports Stats.
Fastest 40 - Summer Series
See how fast you really are during the Kickoff Party! Sports Stats Performance will be onsite doing professional timing of the 40-yard run.
Interested in being a vendor at the Opening Ceremony? Please click here to view our vendor form.
Raffle
Each athlete who comes to athlete check-in will receive one free ticket, and additional tickets will be available for purchase. Winners will be announced during the Opening Ceremony. You will be able to win a multitude of prizes - listed below are some of the places you can win prizes.
Opening Ceremony
Athlete parade line up will start at 7:15 pm (announcements will be made) and the Opening Ceremony starts at 7:30 pm.
Athlete Parade
Athletes have the opportunity to represent their sport as they parade into Opening Ceremony. Entrance into Opening Ceremony will be done in sport alphabetical order.
mascots scheduled to appear
Come see local mascots, including Griff from the Grand Rapids Griffins and Felix the Fox from the West Michigan Sports Commission. Check back to who else will be joining Griff and Felix!
Tyler’s amazing balancing act
In 2024, we are excited to bring in Tyler Scheuer and his Amazing Balancing Act to wow at the Opening Ceremony and kick off our main weekend of events! As seen on America's Got Talent, Ripley's Believe it or Not, The Go Big Show, ESPN and Halftime Shows across the country, he takes on all challenges and has fun while interacting and working with the crowd to get everyone out of their seats.
Keynote speaker - Nick Baumgartner, 2022 Olympic Gold Medalist
Nick Baumgartner has been called the pride of the Upper Peninsula when at 40 years old he became the oldest snowboarder to win an Olympic medal when he won Gold in the snowboard cross mixed team event with Lindsey Jacobellis.
Nick will share his story at the Opening Ceremony as the keynote speaker and believes that perseverance, dedication, and accountability are the building blocks to success. Learn more about Nick Baumgartner.
OLYMPIANS ATTENDING
In addition to Nick Baumgartner, we have the following Olympians attending Opening Ceremony! Click here to learn more about these Michigan Olympians.
Paralympian Mackenzie Woodring
Olympian and Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Champion Mike Knuble
Olympian and East Kentwood High School alum Tia Brooks-Wannemacher
Olympian Gary Morgan
Lighting of the Cauldron
The Summer Games will officially kick off as the torch enters the stadium and the cauldron is lit. Join us June 21 to see who gets selected to light the cauldron!
Past cauldron lighters have included Grand Rapids Rise player Claire Chaussee, Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo, WoodTV reporter Jack Doles, Olympian Nick Baumgartner, Paralympian Mackenzie Woodring, Olympian Dick Fosbury, and more!
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