The Lake Area will be put in the international spotlight when it plays host to the 2018 CanAm games. The Olympic-style competition, which started 40 years ago, will bring in fire and police personnel from across the country, and beyond, to promote physical fitness and camaraderie among the different participating agencies.
Osage Beach Fire Chief Jeff Dorhauer says the Lake Area was named as the 2018 host after emerging from the pack in a five-year bidding process. The games will return in 2020 making the Lake of the Ozarks the first place ever to be awarded back-to-back games. There will be 49 different events with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to the different winners. The big winner, however, will be Special Olympics Missouri – the beneficiary of any profits from the week-long event June 25th through July 1st.