Special Olympics snafu, part II

Many Chicoans were outraged upon reading last week about the cancellation of Chico’s annual Special Olympics basketball tournament due to a Chico State scheduling error (“Special Olympics basketball tourney canceled,” Newslines, Feb. 23). The fiasco was exacerbated last Sunday, March 4, when the volleyball tournament that had displaced the tournament didn’t happen.

It turns out the two-day Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League Regional Tournament, scheduled for March 3-4, was much smaller than anticipated and needed to use Acker and Shurmer gyms only on Saturday, March 3, according to Joe Wills, Chico State’s director of public affairs.

Special Olympics had been given verbal assurances in November that both gyms would be available on Sunday for its 40th annual event, but was notified two weeks prior to the event that not only was a volleyball tournament scheduled in its place, but the fees to use the gyms would be $3,800. Ultimately, the Special Olympics event was canceled.