Kickoff Party and Opening Ceremony
Join us June 20th at the Meijer Sports Complex for the 2025 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 cost is $5
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
Kickoff Party
Athlete Check-in sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield
Athletes stop by athlete check-in to grab your athlete bag and credential.
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.
More information regarding athlete check-in and the kickoff party to come.
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.
Tnt dunk squad
In 2025, we are excited to bring in the TNT Dunk Squad to wow at the Opening Ceremony and kick off our main weekend of events! They have performed and dunked everywhere, including the NBA All Star Game/Jam Session, the Olympic Games, NCAA Final Four, L.A. Lakers playoff games, and more. They are sure to bring the action and impress all with their dunks and stunts.
Keynote speaker - tia brooks-wannemacher, 2012 Team USA Shotput Olympian
Tia Brooks-Wannemacher was a prolific shot putter, hailing from right outside of Grand Rapids as a graduate of East Kentwood High School. After high school, Brooks-Wannemacher went on to compete at the University of Oklahoma. While there, she experienced a significant injury with a degenerative disc disorder, but she rehabbed and continued throwing. Her hard work paid off, as she won shot put at both the 2012 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships, earning her All-American status.
In 2012, Brooks-Wannemacher ended up finishing in third place at the US Olympic Trials, landing her a spot of the roster to compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Currently, Brooks-Wannemacher resides in Grand Rapids with her partner, Stacey Brooks-Wannemacher, who is also an accomplished shot putter from Purdue University, and their family.
Olympians Attending Opening Ceremony
Kate Brim, 2-time Paralympic Medalist
Current Olympic and World Champion hand cyclist Kate Brim grew up in a small town in Michigan after being adopted from Donetsk, Ukraine at the age of four. Kate had a unique childhood. Despite the challenges of learning English and feeling a step behind her peers, she found solace in the support of her family and community.
Kate’s life took a drastic turn in December of 2017 when a routine surgery unexpectedly left her a quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury. Despite the initial limitations placed upon her, she refused to let her diagnosis define her. Through perseverance and the support of those around her, she regained her independence and discovered a passion for adaptive sports like hand cycling and wheelchair rugby.
In August of 2021, Kate faced another challenge when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Determined not to let it hinder her athletic pursuits, she continued to compete, even though managing her condition posed significant challenges. Kate’s resilience and determination were evident when she not only competed but excelled, earning first place in both the time trial and road race at the World Cup and World Championships in 2022 lighting her career.
John Kusku, 1-time Paralympic Goalball Medalist
John Kusku is a math and physics teacher at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest in Wixom, Michigan. He teaches high school juniors and seniors from several different school districts in Southwest Oakland County. He is legally blind due to a degenerative hereditary eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. He earned his master’s degree in mathematics in 2009 from Western Michigan University. Kusku’s eleven-year-old son, George, is in sixth grade and Kusku’s wife, Jessica, is a teacher of children who are blind or visually impaired. Kusku is a Paralympic silver medalist in the sport of goalball.
Although no longer on the National Team, he continues to compete with his Michigan team, winning Bronze at the Goalball National Championships in August 2024. Kusku has taken up cross country ski racing as well as biathlon. He has raced in Meijer State Games of Michigan Races, MI Cup races, and many others outside of Michigan. He has also run two goalball tournaments as part of the Meijer State Games.
He has worked in many mentoring roles for young people who are blind or visually impaired, as well as their parents and teachers. He serves in the following volunteer roles:
Vice President, Michigan Blind Athletic Association
President, Michigan Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness
Goalball Representative, Team USA Athletes Commission
Athlete Member, US Olympic/Paralympic Committee Medical Research Review Group
Goalball Consultant, University of Michigan Adaptive Sports & Inclusive Recreation Initiative
Gary Morgan, USA National Race Walker
Morgan’s hometown is Clarkston, Michigan. Morgan competed in every US Olympic trial from 1984-2004 as a race walker. Including the 1988 Olympic Games, Gary has competed on 17 National Teams that included World Championships, Pan Am Games, Goodwill Games, World Cup and various other teams, and he carried the Olympic torch in 1996 and 2002. He has run or walked over 60 marathons, including those in New York, Boston, Chicago, Kilimanjaro, & Antarctica. Known as Mr. Ubiquitous, Morgan encourages everyone he meets to ‘LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST’
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 20 to see Olympian Tia Brooks-Wannemacher light the cauldron and start Summer Games!
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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