Some special athletes in South Mississippi are warming up and ready to return to the field as the Special Olympics Track and Field Games for the area are scheduled to take place on Friday, April 12, at Campground Baptist Church off Highway 53 in Gulfport.
These April events are being enthusiastically embraced by many, as Special Olympics games for the area have been on hiatus for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Special Olympics Mississippi Gulf Coast Area 3 services Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River counties.
As the games resume, the division is also welcoming a new director, Sharon Patterson. Patterson and others who devote their time to the area’s Special Olympics games and other activities say they are as excited - if not more than - those who compete in the local games.
“Our area games (such as the April 12 track and field games) are to prequalify and ensure that our local athletes are put into the proper division for equal footing at the state games,” Patterson says.
Established in 1968, the Special Olympics is a non-profit global organization that serves athletes with intellectual disabilities, working with hundreds of thousands of volunteers and coaches each year.
The Special Olympics state games are set to take place May 10-12 at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi and will include competitions in various categories, including track and field, swimming, bowling and various other competitions.
The track and field prequalifiers for Area 3 on April 12 will begin with check-in from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. The Opening Ceremony and Games begin at 9 a.m., followed by a lunch (provided) from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Events at the April 12 games will include: 10M (meter) Wheelchair Race, 10M Walk, 25M Wheelchair Race, 25M Assisted Walk, 25M Run, 50M Run, 50M Walk, Volleyball Skills, Softball Throw, Bocce Singles and Banner/Sign Making.
Mississippi Coast Special Needs Soccer Association will have a soccer goal set up for play at the event, and Ace Cheer Company, from Wiggins, Mississippi, will have a performance featuring special athletes.
Games are open to all Special Olympic Athletes ages eight and up, but all participants must have a current physical to participate in the games on April 12. Registration is also required and must be made to Director Sharon Patterson at SMPatterson79@gmail.com.
Patterson says volunteers are always needed for administration, coaching and assisting with the events.
Law enforcement officers throughout Mississippi are also helping to raise funds for the organization with a Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics Mississippi. They are collecting donations through various fundraisers, including the sale of T-shirts for this year’s Torch Run. LETR T-shirts are $20, plus the cost of shipping, and they can be ordered online through April 10 at WillPromo.com/SOMS/shop/home.
For more information, to volunteer or make donations, visit the Special Olympics Mississippi, Area 3 – Gulf Coast Mississippi’s Facebook page, or email Patterson.
Campground Baptist Church is located at 20577 on Mississippi Highway 53 in Gulfport. For more information, call 228-860-0811.
