On Friday, May 3, students from several local schools gathered for a unified Special Olympics event. OHS, Metz, Mayfield, Baldwin, Haydon, Round, Dean, and Weems were present, in addition to Manassas Park Schools (Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park Middle, and Manassas Park High School).

This was a unified event, with 178 athletes attending, as well as their buddies.  The students had the opportunity to participate in 9 different sporting events.  Students from Osbourn’s Unified P.E. class helped run the events with about 30 adult volunteers. “We couldn’t have done it without these 2 groups of volunteers. Our Eagle Buddy students were amazing buddies for our OHS athletes,” explained Ms. Shannon Helton, who played a key role in organizing the event.

The day’s events included throwing, bowling, basketball, bag relay, soccer, 50-meter run, tossing, and parachutes.

“This day is about fun and having a fun and inclusive environment. I think it’s healthy for everyone who helps and participates. We would love to host a big event where all the high school and middle school students come together and have one big meet,” said Mr. Pflugrath.

“It’s a special day they get to have with their friends and it’s fun for everybody. This event is district-wide. We have all the schools here except for Baldwin because they don’t have a program yet. We also have Manassas Park here with us. So there’s actually two districts here at every grade level,” said Ms. Helton.

“Today means a lot to me because of the inclusive aspects of it. We have general education students, special education students, and adults. It’s just one big happy family,” said Mr. Brian Maceyak, the director of special education for Manassas City Schools.