COLUMBIA, Mo. (July 8, 2020) –  The 2020 Show-Me State Games is canceling its summer events to protect the health and safety of athletes, spectators, volunteers, officials and the community due to current COVID-19 concerns.

The Show-Me State Games is an annual Olympic-style festival held in Columbia that typically offers more than 40 sporting events.  Twenty events had already been canceled due to health and safety guidelines and facility availability.

Additional factors that contributed to the cancelation include the withdrawal of athletes due to health concerns, the ability to monitor and enforce social distancing and/or mask usage, and the ability to recruit and train volunteers and sports commissioners.

“Our mission is to promote health, fitness, family and fun,” said Dave Fox, Show-Me State Games Executive Director. “While we are disappointed that we won’t be able to host our sporting events, we believe we are upholding our mission by putting our participants and the community’s health first.”

All athletes and teams who registered will receive a refund of their entry fees.

In addition to the summer games, the Show-Me State Games offers events throughout the year to promote its mission of health, fitness, family and fun. Established in 1985, the Show-Me State Games is a non-profit program hosted by the University of Missouri in Columbia. More than a million athletes have competed in the Games, with athletes coming annually from nearly all 114 Missouri counties. For more information, visit http://www.smsg.org/