Special Athletes Day brings joy to the county from every angle
The Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities athletes made the trek to Hiland High School. The day-long event takes the coordination of many, including both school districts and the Board of DD.
Joy.
In today’s world that word seems to be a mirage, something that is unattainable.
On Friday, May 18 at Hiland High School, Holmes County got a wonderful dose of joy, courtesy of the annual Holmes County Special Athletes Day.
The special event featured student-athletes from all over Holmes County’s West Holmes and East Holmes school districts as well as members of the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Many of the special athletes anticipate this day for a long time but so too do the many volunteers who unite to help put the event together and make it run smoothly.
“The cooperation between the school districts and the MR-DD has been amazing,” said Rhoda Mast, principal at the Holmes County Board of DD. “It doesn’t matter which side of the county this takes place on; people are always there to pitch in and make this event so special. This is a cross section of the charity and giving nature of the people of Holmes County, and there is a real unity in this. We are so pleased to be a part of something that has taken on such special meaning to our county.”
While the event has been at West Holmes High School for a number of years, since Hiland built its new track facility, the hope is to alternate it from West to East on an annual basis. Regardless of where it is, Mast said people can expect a ton of support in making it worthwhile.
The day does take a great deal of preparation, but this labor of love has become a joy for those who are able to give these Special Olympic athletes a venue to compete.
“This is a lot of people throughout the county coming together to put this on,” said CJ Sprang, East Holmes Schools director of student services for the district and also one of the committee members to oversee the event.
Sprang said the Special Athletes Day begins to take shape when the committee meets with the Holmes Board of DD in the late fall when school starts. The committee of Jeff Kinney, Mast, Julie Snyder, Brianna Rickley and Sprang meet together several more times from that point on to coordinate all of the travel, events, meals, sponsorships and many other minute details that help pull the day together for the participants.
Through the aid of individuals, schools and businesses, all of the tiny details that go largely unnoticed are taken care of smoothly and skillfully by a group of people who have made this enjoyable event a success for many years.
“It’s a lot of good people coming together who have been doing this for so many years that it has in some ways become old hat, and that is why we have such good continuity from year to year,” Sprang said. “Then you get here, and you see all of these kids and the smiles and the laughter. It is just real, true joy, and that is why we put all of the hard work into this day.”
Throughout the late morning and into the afternoon, the county athletes competed in races, throwing and other contests. They ran to compete to win, but they also ran for the sheer joy, and all along the south side of the track where the athletes came down the home stretch stood a throng of Hiland High School students who cheered loudly and often for each and every participant.
For West Holmes School District elementary speech therapist Lynda Park, the event holds a special meaning because it presents an opportunity for her to connect with students now in high school that she worked with as youth in elementary school.
Seeing how far they’ve come and how much they’ve grown can’t mask the feeling of remembering them as those young children she once knew.
“They will always have a special place in my heart,” Park said. “It’s nice to see where they are today. I’ll see kids here today, and it’s fun to watch the light go on when they recognize me. I think that is what makes this so much fun for those of us who have taught these kids over the years.”
All over the track and field there were countless volunteers from area businesses who firmly believe in supporting these special athletes as well as the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
For years Ted Thorpe has watched as his counterparts at Killbuck Savings Bank volunteered to serve during the event. This year he decided it was his time to do so, and he didn’t regret it.
“What an experience; it’s phenomenal,” Thorpe said. “It’s a feel-good for everyone here, and it is so much fun to see the joy and the pleasure this event brings them. This is absolutely one of the highest priorities for us at Killbuck Savings Bank, if for nothing else other than to serve and enjoy such a wonderful community event. It is so worthwhile to see everyone here being so encouraging and to see the joy on the faces of those competing. I’ve already told Paula [Aurand] to sign me up for next year.”
“I’ve been involved with athletics my entire life as an athletic director and a coach, and these kids compete for the right reason,” said Todd Day, who has been instrumental in taking a van load of area athletes to the state Special Olympics each year. “They enjoy what they are doing, they have a smile on their face, they don’t complain and they don’t act like they got a raw deal. They just come out and compete and have a good time.”
Day said having a large portion of the student body coming down to the track and cheering the athletes on is inspirational for the athletes and in turn for the students themselves who see the effort and joy on the faces of these athletes.
“I firmly believe that it is a big deal for these kids to see and hear that kind of support,” Day said.
The word joy came up a lot during the hours the event took place, and it wasn’t by accident. The special athletes made sure that the tone was set for everyone to see that this whole day was about the elation that comes from being part of a community of people who care about each other.