Rouse jumped at the opportunity, having a long-standing relationship with Special Olympics thanks to a deep connection with his late aunt, Therese, who had Down syndrome. He and the Vikings, starting with the Wilf family ownership group and throughout, are deeply committed to the Twin Cities community and are thrilled to welcome the 2026 Games to Minnesota from June 20-26.
"When I found out last year that the Special Olympics were coming to Minnesota, I immediately cleared my schedule, made sure I was available during that time to be involved," Rouse said. "I can't wait to be there for the Opening Ceremony, meet new people and just show my support overall. I'm super excited for it."
We flew to New York, boarded a bus from the airport and, before we knew it, were in the heart of Times Square. Five of the six Special Olympics Minnesota athletes had never been to New York, so there was no shortage of oohs and ahhs as we got our first glimpse of the city skyline. Neon and LED lights of advertisements and billboards adorning skyscrapers added to the energy. We took a quick walk over to the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, stopped for lunch at Dalton's Bar & Grill, and then it was time to head over to Nasdaq MarketSite to fulfill the day's special opportunity.