Special Olympics Goes Gold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noS3EBTri08

The Greenville County School District held their annual Special Olympics at the Timmons Arena of Furman University on May 9th2019. Many athletes came from every school in the county to participate in the athletic activities.

The annual competition is held for the students of special needs and disabilities to compete with each other in Olympic chosen games. The focus of the games is not to pick the best athlete or a winner but to let every student know that they are all champions.

The students of Thomas E Kerns Elementary school were one of the schools participating in the games this year and the students were very excited to be a part of this year’s activities.

“This is the highlight of their year,” said Courtney Pauling; a teacher’s aide at Thomas E. Kerns. “They participate in the schools field day with the school of course but the Special Olympics are more focused on them.”

Over more than 100 schools came from across the upstate to meet and walk with their school during the opening ceremony. There were many games to partake in such as the meter dash, the bean bag toss and bowling.

Throughout the year many schools and businesses create fundraisers and make donations to support this special cause. Many big names such as the Shriners Children Hospital sponsor the Special Olympics to make this big day very memorable for the students.

Students from local middle schools and high schools also come out to participate and volunteer and help the special athletes enjoy their day. At the end of the ceremony every student is a winner.

To see how you can donate and get involved go to www.specialolympics.org.