'It should be loud': Special Olympics team heads for Nova Scotia

P.E.I.'s Special Olympics team will leave on Monday for Antigonish for the Canada Summer Games.

The 36 athletes will compete in eight different sports, including soccer, softball, golf and swimming.

Matthew McNally, the team's chef de mission, said there will 900 athletes from across the country at the event along with 3,000 spectators and 1,000 volunteers.

"The community just came together and I think we'll really feel that East Coast hospitality," said McNally.

"We have a major contingent coming over from P.E.I.. We have over 100 family and caregivers, supporters coming to cheer on the 36 athletes that are competing. So it should be loud, it should be fun and we'll all have a lot of smiles."

There was a pep rally for Team P.E.I. Thursday night on the UPEI campus.

The opening ceremonies are Tuesday with the games running until Saturday. Most of the events will be on the St. Francis Xavier University campus.

This is a qualifying event for the Special Olympics World Summer Games next year in Abu Dhabi.

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