Let The Games Begin Monday, May 14, 2012 By Sophomore Jared Proctor Deston Miller, Isaiah Cole, Trevor Clark, and Andrew Pokora met for a pose after a long day of competing. - Jared Proctor Advertising There are different kinds of people all over the world. Some are pretty. Some are tall. Some are skinny. And some are treated unfairly Some of these people treated poorly have intellectual disabilities. They have never had the chance to be in athletics or to be part of a team. According to specialolympics.org, a woman named Eunice Kennedy Shriver decided to take action and do something about this in the early 1960’s. She created a summer camp for mentally handicapped people in her own backyard. This action eventually led to the Special Olympics, which was first held on July 19, 1968, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. On May 4, Cameron’s Special Olympians had a chance to compete in track and field. At the event, the kids showed all their hard work and proved they have been working hard. Coach Jeff White was in charge of Special Olympics this year. He is new to coaching the olympics, but was very excited to see how the event was going to turn out. He said, “My role in Special Olympics was to be the head coach. I am in charge of the kids, practices, physicals, being a support system, and getting them excited to compete.” Coach White was very impressed by their performance in practice, and it definitely showed at the event. All the kids gave their all. Athlete Trevor Stark was very excited to compete. He said, “I love to run and jump. My favorite part was the running and relay.” Trevor did a great job at the event. He played hard and showed his toughness. All the Olympians were excited to compete and enjoyed the eventful day. To help with Special Olympics, Cameron High has a volunteer program. This program allows high school students to help with the kids and be there for a support system with Coach White. Sadly, Cameron had graduation practice on the day of Special Olympics, so the seniors couldn’t help. Luckily, there is still an opportunity for the seniors to help with state in a few weeks. Junior Aubrey Roach was one of the students who signed up for Special Olympics. When she was approved, she was thrilled. Aubrey said, “I enjoyed seeing how excited these kids got and how much they are accomplished. They remember you forever, too.” Although volunteering for Special Olympics is great for scholarships, Aubrey helped strictly for the kids. She said, “I didn’t do it to benefit me; I did it to help them. I love seeing their faces after they get their rewards and after they compete.” This year at the olympics all athletes received medals. They worked hard and had a great ceremony. Good job Special Olympics athletes and good luck next year!

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