Special Olympics is Extraordinary
Special olympics is more than special. It is extraordinary. I think that word, extraordinary, is overused in daily conversation which takes away from the impact of the word, but special olympics is definitely extraordinary! And I will tell you why.
Stewart Home & School recently hosted a basketball invitational at our school where about 20 teams came to our campus to participate in a weekend full of sportsmanship, hard work, and most importantly, friendship. Our students, and staff, have made lots of friends through special olympics. Friends from all over the state. You see the same players, families, and friends of families all year long at different venues for different sports, and you become a bigger family of sorts. A family that you look forward to seeing almost weekly at whatever sporting event seems to be happening at that time. A family that you can’t wait to hug and ask how they have been since last week’s competition. (yes, I know. It has only been a week!) A family, made up mostly of volunteers, who smile and give the best high fives ever. Special Olympics is more than special.
I couldn’t tell you a single score of our invitational. I couldn’t tell you the records of the Stewart Home & School teams, or any other team that participated that weekend at our Stewart Home & School Basketball Invitational. But I can tell you that I spent all day looking for and beaming with excitement and glee when my friend, Sam, walked in with his parents to play our teams. I have to be honest and say I wasn’t rooting for anybody to win! I was just rooting for everyone to do well and have fun and was simply clapping because I was just so glad to be there to see all my friends’ faces and smiles. I think I may have cried a little.
Special Olympics is extraordinary because that day, two VOLUNTEER referees brought a jersey and a whistle for one of our students to help them ref a game. They didn’t tell anyone what they were doing, they wouldn’t even give me their names so I could send them thank you notes!!!! They just wanted to see Jack and make him smile and give him the experience of refereeing a game. And Jack was speechless. Seriously. He was. I was trying to video tape the whole thing and interview Jack and he wouldn’t say anything but “great!”. It was so overwhelming. Extraordinary.
I bring this up because Monday, Feb, 9, at the Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky House Bill 178 will be supported by us and many others in this community. House Bill 178 allows a Special Olympics of Kentucky tax check-off that will allow an easier way for people to donate money to the Special Olympics of Kentucky. Special Olympics of Kentucky has just as many volunteers (more) than it does employees and these people bring more joy to the athletes in one afternoon than I can express in words.
We will be there supporting House Bill 178. We hope you are too!!!
For more information please visit: http://openstates.org/ky/bills/2015RS/HB178/ and come support House Bill 178 and Special Olympics!
written by Tricia Brill, Director of Media/Photographer