NSU to host area Special Olympics event – March 12

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--On March 12, at the NSU track adjacent to Doc Wadley Stadium, Grand View schools will be hosting a regional Special Olympics event. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m.

There will be two age group categories, 8 to 11 and 12 to 15, and students will be able to participate in up to two of the following events: bocce, 50m run, softball throw, 25m walk, 25m wheelchair, 25m assisted wheelchair, javelin throw, and standing long jump.There is a 4x100 relay that students may also participate in.

Concessions will be available, and the public is encouraged to attend to cheer on the students.

This will be Grand Views first time participating in a Special Olympics event. The Grand View school district has a large population of students with severe and profound disabilities. Because a Special Olympics event has not been hosted in the Tahlequah area for many years, Grand View teachers hope that this will be an opportunity for some students to practice for the state Special Olympics in May and for other to simply have the experience of the event.

Competing at NSU will open up an opportunity for the local schools to come together. Stilwell has hosted a local Special Olympics in the past and they were not able to do so this year, Shayla Stewart, Special Education teacher at Grand View said. We did not want our students to miss out on participating in this event, especially the students who are not going to compete in May.

NSU Athletics and the Special Education department through the Student Council of Exceptional Children (SCEC) have volunteered their time to help with the event.

This is the first time that SCEC has volunteered for the Special Olympics, Taylor Eversole, SCEC president said. SCEC is trying very hard to refocus our organization toward community service and we believe that assisting Grand View with their Special Olympics event and cheering on their athletes is a great first step.

Athletic Director, Tony Duckworth also explained that community engagement stands as a core value for NSUs student athletes.

Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.