On Oct. 22 and 23, balloons were strung around the Starr’s Mill gymnasium and music blared while students from all Fayette County schools danced in the middle of the basketball court. They were celebrating Special Olympics for basketball events. “The student athletes love participating and love the cheers,” Peers Are Linking Students club sponsor Colleen Petty said.

Starr’s Mill’s PALS club hosted a county-wide Special Olympics where students with disabilities could come together and show their athletic ability while spending time with other peers from different schools.

Students from the elementary to the high school level participated. This year, Braelinn, Kedron, Clearwater and Joseph Sam, Bennett’s Mill came to the Mill on Oct. 22, and high schools McIntosh, Sandy Creek, Spring Hill, Whitewater and Starr’s Mill participated on Oct. 23.

“The event is great for both PALS students and special olympians,” speech therapist Shannon Gagliano said. “They bond through the event and learn a lot from each other. The special olympians were so excited by the greeting as they arrived on buses and all of the encouragement throughout the event.”

Sponsors of PALS, a club that emphasizes making friends and promoting kindness, spent many weeks encouraging the student body to help volunteer for the main event.

“It’s so amazing to see how so many of our general education students open their hearts, and how right in front of us you see their attitudes and preconceptions change,” PALS sponsor Cindy Hartpence said. “It is truly wonderful when the involvement in PALS and Special Olympics brings them to the realization that they might want a career in the areas of special education.”

Members of the PALS club and volunteers put forth a great deal of effort to make the athletes day more special. “We had over 135 students volunteer during the two days,” Gagliano said. “Many students met during lunch and made posters and also blew up balloons for the bleachers.”

On Oct. 22, elementary and middle school students played different activities focused on basketball, like passing and shooting games.

One of the events was named Spot Shot. “There were six spots around the basket, and the kids would shoot from the different spots into the basketball hoop or a hula hoop,” junior Kelly Kozusko said. “I loved seeing the kids smile and get super excited when they scored a basket.”

For the high schoolers, the day ran a little differently. Each high school formed two different  teams. One team played in bracket A and the other played in bracket B. Athletes stood on six spots around the basket and took turns passing and shooting the basketball.

After the two brackets completed their games, two winners were announced. Those winners were Starr’s Mill and Whitewater. “I loved shooting the ball in the hoop and hanging out with friends,” junior athlete Rachel Demarcus said.

 Although the special olympians enjoyed the competitive aspects of basketball, they mostly valued having fun and making friends. “It means the world to them to be involved in the competitions,” Petty said. “It helps build their self-esteem and adds a lot of joy to their lives.”