Bill Abell can’t help but get choked up when he talks about how he got involved with the International Blind Sports Federation.Abell, a Colorado Springs resident who has been volunteering for the IBSA World Youth and Student Championships and Pan American Games since 2001, said his blind son, Mike, was his driving force.Abell is one of 250 volunteers at the blind world championships, which started Thursday and will run through Sunday at multiple area locations.While the volunteers come out to serve the athletes, the games aid the competitors with tools for the future.“In the United States, 70 percent of blind people are unemployed,” said Mark Lucas, the executive director of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. “But the athletes here, only 30 percent of them are unemployed. Why? Because they’re competing. People who compete in games for the visually impaired are going to carry this into the future and be able to compete for a job with a person who is able-sighted.”Abell, who took a week off from his job at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney to volunteer, said competitions like these do wonders.

At a glanceWhat: IBSA World Youth and Student Championships and Pan American Games; 26 countries; 358 athletesWhere: El Pomar Gymnasium at Colorado College (goalball), the U.S. Olympic Training Center (judo and swimming) and the St. Mary’s Grace Center (track and field)When: Today — goalball (8 a.m.-noon,1-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.); judo (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1-7 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.); swimming (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-4:45 p.m.); track and field (9-11:45 a.m. and 6-10 p.m.). Sunday — goalball (8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.); swimming (10 a.m.-12:15 p.m.); track and field makeups (9:30-11:45 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.)

Larry Owens hung a flag up on the ferris wheel he was helping set up at the El Paso County Fair grounds Thursday afternoon. Owens said he works for A Great Northern A’fair from Glendale, Ariz. The El Paso County Fair starts this morning in Calhan Photo by CAROL LAWRENCE, THE GAZETTE