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Kristi Osterlund, Special Olympics Montana, (406) 315-4208 | [email protected]

Marcel Pariseau, True Public Relations, (323) 957-0730 | [email protected]

Taylor Bailey, True Public Relations, (323) 957-0730 | [email protected]

March 1, 2023--Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) is ecstatic to announce that Big Sky Music Group recording artist and singer-songwriter Stephanie Quayle will help kick off the State Summer Games in Bozeman, May 17-19.

The Bozeman native will perform Wednesday night, May 17th at Bobcat Stadium on the MSU campus. This free performance, open to the public, will celebrate the power of sport and inclusion according to Stephanie.

"I am thrilled to be teaming up with the Special Olympics State Summer Games here in Montana and be a part of their opening ceremonies and festivities. Our athletes and their families are near and dear to my heart, and there is nothing more powerful than our community coming together to support all of them in a big, beautiful way and cheer them on at the top of our lungs."

The opening ceremony is an exciting and celebratory event that sets the tone for the entire competition. As the first statewide competition in three years, athletes are excited to be competing in one location with fellow athletes from across the state. The theme of the 2023 State Summer Games, Together At Last, references two things: the competition of athletes from across the state and the vision of inclusion and acceptance for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Stephanie just released her latest album, On The Edge, available now. She has had a massive presence in country music with standout radio singles "Whatcha Drinkin 'Bout," "Selfish," and digital releases like "Wild Frontier" in the last few years. The CMT "Next Women of Country" inductee has been tapped as a Grand Ole Opry darling, making multiple appearances into the iconic circle and performing on the historic Ryman Auditorium stage. Quayle was included in the star-studded weeklong line-up to celebrate Dolly Parton's 50th Anniversary of being a Grand Ole Opry member. The entertainer has shared stages with artists like Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, and many more; and in a once in a lifetime opportunity, the charismatic performer was the only independent act invited to perform for the five living former U.S. presidents (Obama, W. Bush, Clinton, H.W. Bush and Carter) alongside artists like Lady Gaga and Alabama as part of the hurricane relief concert "Deep from the Heart: The One America Appeal" in Texas.

The singer-songwriter's booming personality has also been tapped as a special guest host for Wrangler Network, the Circle Network, Sounds Like Nashville, and One Country on the ACM Awards, CMT Awards and CMA Awards red carpets. She has been highlighted on The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and in People, Huffington Post, Glamour, Hollywood Life, Inspirer Magazine, Rolling Stone Country, Taste of Country and Billboard.com, to name a few. Quayle was named the First Female Country Music Ambassador for Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's, and has teamed up with other recognizable national brands Harley-Davidson, Kampgrounds Of America (KOA), Lucchese Bootmaker, Winnebago, Wrangler, Running Iron Whiskey, Yellowstone Country Montana, Montana Silversmiths and Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply. She is an active supporter of charitable organizations like the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, Care Camps, Special Olympics Montana and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Learn more about Stephanie Quayle.

SOMT provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics gives athletes opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing their skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and their communities.

Learn more about Special Olympics Montana.

Kristi Pettis Osterlund

Communications Director

Special Olympics Montana | 710 1st Ave N. | Great Falls, MT 59401

Cell: 406.315.4208 | Fax: 406.770.4453