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Special Olympians compete at USD 234
One hundred Fort Scott students ran, jumped and threw to compete in the regional Special Olympics this spring.
The USD 234 Special Olympics took place Tuesday at Fort Scott Middle School.
"It is so worth all the hard work we put into it. To see the smile on faces of children that struggle every day is priceless," Jannah Farrington, one of the event's organizers, said.
Special Olympics is a track and field sporting contest for students and adults with disabilities. The contests includes relays, softball throws, running long jumps, standing long jumps, 25-meter wheelchair races and tennis ball throws.
The local contest is held prior to the Southeast Kansas Special Olympics at Pittsburg State University Carnie Smith Stadium each spring. Hundreds of students and adults compete in the annual event.
The local event is held so students' times can be recorded prior to the competition at PSU.
USD 234 has had athletes participate and compete in the regional competition for many years, Farrington said.
For 20-plus years, Connie Neil was in charge of the USD 234 meet. After her retirement with the district, Dustin Wiley, physical education teacher at Eugene Ware and Farrington, special education teacher at Fort Scott Middle School, assumed responsibilities for organizing the Special Olympics for USD 234. The students competing Tuesday range in age from elementary to high school.
Typically the event is held at Fort Scott High School's Frary Field, but due to icy conditions, it was moved indoors at Fort Scott Middle School.
Several local businesses sponsor USD 234 Special Olympics, Farrington said.
Those sponsors include but are not limited to: Papa Don's, The Common Ground Coffee House, Shepherd Team Auto Plaza, Carlisle, Walmart and McDonalds.
Volunteers who helped with the event were coaches and members from the Fort Scott Community College football team, Coach Matt Glades, Coach Moses Harper, Coach Richard Johnson, Coach Johnny Stilwell, Cole Reazin, Alec Smith, Rashad Jackson and Gabe Loyd.
Other volunteers who helped were Ryan Metcalf, Mike Walden, Connie Neil, Jared Martin and Stephannie Bowling.
"Thanks to all the volunteers, parents, athletes, teachers, and para-professionals," Farrington said. "It really is a team effort to successfully pull off the local Special Olympics meet...especially since it moved inside."