Olympian to headline summer games opening ceremony

Sports

Jun 16

Tia Brooks-Wannemacher
Photo courtesy of Meijer State Games of Michigan

The Meijer State Games of Michigan opening ceremony kicks off the 2025 Summer Games on June 20. The event will feature a lineup of Olympians, Paralympians, and entertainment. The Meijer State Games of Michigan run from June 20 through 22 and are an Olympic-style sporting event for athletes of all ages and abilities, with the summer games offering more than 35 sports for over 6,000 athletes.

“I think an event like this is really special to bring together athletes of all walks of life, from Olympians to Paralympians to your kids, friends, and neighbors. Sports are such a uniting force, and our Opening Ceremony is a shining example of that”, said Julie Cullen, Director, Meijer State Games of Michigan. “Celebrating each other is more important than ever, and this is the perfect chance to uplift one another through sports, no matter where you are at in your athletic journey."

The Opening Ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Meijer Sports Complex, with the Parade of Athletes highlighting hundreds of athletes participating in 38 sports.

Following the Parade of Athletes, Michigan-born shot putter Tia Brooks-Wannemacher will give the keynote address. An East Kentwood High School alumna, Brooks-Wannemacher competed at the University of Oklahoma, where she overcame a significant injury to win multiple national championships and earn her All-American status. In 2012, Brooks-Wannemacher finished in third place at the US Olympic Trials, securing a spot on the roster to compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Following the guest speakers, entertainment will be provided by 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 and Jam Session, the Olympic Games, the NCAA Final Four, and Los Angeles Lakers playoff games.

Prior to the opening ceremony, a kickoff party for athletes and their families will take place at 6:30 p.m. The event will include athlete credentials and bag pickup, a raffle, a beer tent, food trucks, bracelet making, Battle GR games, and vendors.

Sponsors of the Meijer State Games of Michigan - Summer Games include Meijer, Lake Michigan Credit Union, NovaCare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fox Motors, Lacks Enterprises Inc., Peppino’s, fairlife, Tele-Rad, Northern Michigan University, Gordon Water Systems, Serv-U-Success, Pita Way, Life EMS, Michigan Fitness Foundation, Experience Grand Rapids.

For more information, visit https://www.stategamesofmichigan.com/.

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