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Special Olympic Athletes Converge On BNL Football Field Today

Last updated on Thursday, May 9, 2013

(BEDFORD) - The Bedford North Lawrence High School football field will be bustling with activities today and Friday as Special Olympic participants show off their skills.

The Joint Services Special Education cooperative, which serves five counties, will celebrate their students with a day of games, fun and friendship.

Jessica Adams, occupational therapist and event organizer along with Karen Sims and Amber Ingersoll, say 271 students from Orange, Lawrence, Jackson, Martin and Greene counties will attend the event. Each student will be paired with a high school "buddy" who will assist them during the games. Adults from residential programs at Garden Villa, Res Care and recent graduates also participate in the games.

Running races and adaptive races for students who use walkers or wheelchairs take place in the morning. In the afternoon, students will participate in throwing events with tennis balls and Frisbees. On Friday, the athletes represent their schools in relay races, followed by music and dancing and the awarding of medals.

There are also arts and crafts activities and BNL students will do face painting for participants. Nick Mullis will provide music for the kids to dance to.

Family and friends of athletes are also invited to Special Olympics.

Special Olympics is made possible thanks to the hundreds of volunteers and community sponsors. High school helpers come from BNL, Mitchell, Shoals and Brownstown and a few college students also return to help.

Local sponsors donate money so each athlete receives a T-shirt. UAW Local 440 provides the athletes a lunch and Free Methodist Church provides breakfast. Food and drinks for the concession stand are donated by Mullis Carquest Auto Parts and Geo-Flo.

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