BATAVIA, N.Y. — The Empire State Winter Games are just a few days away, and local athletes and dignitaries are kicking things off with the annual torch run across the state.
The torch relay begins Sunday at 2:45 p.m. at Falleti Ice Arena in Batavia.
The relay will continue in Gowanda on Monday with three stops: 7:30 a.m. at Gowanda Middle and High School, 8:30 a.m. at Community Bank, and 9:45 a.m. at Gowanda Elementary School.
Then at 11 a.m., the torch relay will make a stop at Community Bank in Orchard Park before it heads east to Rochester.
The torch relay will continue east to Central New York and the Mohawk Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday before ending in Lake Placid on Thursday, where the torch barer will light the cauldron to signify the start of the games.
The 40th annual Empire State Winter Games runs from January 30 to February 2.
Amateur athletes of all ages will compete in more than 30 winter sports competitions. They come from all over the Northeast and Canada.