40th Annual Track and Field Meet May 2014

Special Olympics of Crawford County 40^th annual Track and Field meet was a fun day of competition and reunion of friends from different schools and graduates who are returning to compete as adults. Special Olympics is open to all registered athletes with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to participate in Olympic Type events.  It was begun in 1968 by the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver.  It continues today world wide with more than 3.1 million athletes training and competing in more than 170 countries and more than 750,000 volunteers and 300,000 coaches.  Crawford County has approximately 400 registered athletes practicing and competing in 10 sports.  The Theme of the day was 40 Years of Champions and the parade of athletes with banners showing that theme was colorful.  Schools and agencies from Crawford, Venango, Clarion and Erie County were announced by Athlete and assistant emcee Cody Hubert of Titusville. The groups marched in to the music of Explosion of Sound the pep rally band from Meadville Area High School. Samantha Christianson of Meadville Area Federal Credit Union and Cody Hubert of Titusville were the emcees. Carol Caler, manager of Crawford County Special Olympics welcomed the group. Laura Smith and Lainey Brancato sang the Star Spangled Banner. Jamie Sterling carried the American Flag and Trip Bailey carried the torch to light the Olympic Cauldron. Satchi Miller led the Athletes in the oath to “Let me Win but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt”.  The 2014Track and Field meet Danny Zirkle award went to Austin Pierce of Maplewood Elementary School.

The Crawford County Supporter Award went to The Arc of Crawford, Warren, and Forest County and Randy Gorske for all the support they give Crawford County Special Olympics by storing sports equipment to using office space at The Arc.

Declaration of “Let the games begin” by Carol Caler. 

 

Three Hundred fifty athletes then participated in the 50 or 100 meter run or walk, softball or Turbo Jav Throw, and the standing long jump.  People who use wheelchairs participated in a 30 M Slalom, 25 m obstacle course and 25 meter race. The participants may have been assisted or unassisted.  To keep athletes moving there was a fun Corn Hole skill game and an Olympic Village.  It was wonderful to have over four hundred volunteers from local businesses and service clubs run the events and high school, national honor society and student councils help with the measuring, ribbons, and scoring. Thurston House and Americorp Vista and Peer Mentors from MASH organized a Carnival type Olympic Village and participants could win prizes.  Participants could get their face painted at Olympic Village if they chose to. An additional set of guests to entertain at the Olympic Village was the Clown City Clowns,  Jam, Smiles and Bubbles. They also walked around to cheer the athletes on in their competitions.

 

Fire and Iron Motorcycle Club and Edinboro University Future Special Education Teachers both presented Crawford County with checks from recent fundraisers for Special Olympics.  Both groups stayed to help out at the 40^th annual event. We are so appreciative of all the sponsors and volunteers. 

 

Crawford County Special Olympics athletes would not have been able to have such a nice event with out the support and donations of food/drink by Mc Donald’s, Nutrition Inc., Luminous Water,  and AVI.  Thanks to The Meadville Area Credit Union  for helping emcee.  It was great to have the Sertoma Club food stand and The Arc Barks Hot Dog cart open for hot food and refreshments. Families and parents could register at a family table. It is our hope they will to be on an email list to receive updates on practices and events that fall between quarterly newsletters sent to registered athletes.