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Special Olympics Invitational returns to Girard
GIRARD HOSTS SIXTH ANNUAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS INVITATIONAL
By Greg Gulas
When the Girard- Liberty Rotary Club, Girard City School District and Fairhaven Special Olympics first got together to plan a Special Olympics Invitational, the goal was to attract as many teams and participants as possible with the hopes of having fun, all the while allowing those with special needs an opportunity to compete.
That was in 2010 and during that initial competition, the group drew five teams and hosted a little more than 160 Olympic hopefuls.
Five years, millions of smiles, tears, high-fives and fist-bumps later, they’ve grown to 13 teams from eight counties and on Saturday, that same group played host to more than 400 athletes and volunteers at Girard’s Arrowhead Stadium.
“It’s just outstanding to see how this event has grown. We wanted to give this special group of athletes a chance to compete and while no team is the overall winner, everyone walked away a winner today,” said Joe Jeswald, former Girard High football coach and superintendent and current Girard-Liberty Rotary president. “It’s also a special day for all of us because we get to witness the adversity that they have had to overcome. Watching how happy they are when they compete is such a rewarding experience. It means a lot to them and quite a bit to us as well.”
Breanna Miles of Stark Developmental Disabilities won the 100 and 200 dash competitions, as well as the 4 x 400 meter relay.
In doing so she qualified for the World Games, which takes place July 22 in Los Angeles.
“It was really hot today, which made me run just a little bit faster,” she said. “To be able to represent Stark D.D. at the World Games is a dream come true.”
Miles’ teammate, Robin Threats, won both the 100 dash and 4 x 400 relay competitions as well, finishing runner-up in the 200 dash.
“My goal was to win all three events and even though I finished second in the 200 meter dash, I still had a lot of fun. This event was well-organized,” Threats said.
Carol Kirsch, coordinator and teacher with Fairhaven Special Olympics, said the event does not go off without a hitch if you don’t have community support.
“The growth has been phenomenal as we’ve almost tripled in size since that first event,” she said. “Word gets out about how accommodating the entire City of Girard is in order to ensure our success. Community leaders, volunteers and area students all take part so it’s just one great day of fun and competition.”
Ben Norman, a Girard junior and Emily Marsico, a Girard sophomore, are invitational volunteers.
“This is a community service event for many of the volunteers, but it’s safe to say we’d all do this whether we get credit or not. The look on all athletes’ faces after taking part in an event is just so rewarding,” Norman said.
Said Marsico: “It’s gratifying to be able to help those that are less fortunate and especially gratifying to assist a group that always gives 110 percent every time they compete.”
Dr. Jim Ramunno, president of the local Corydon Palmer Dental Society and an Austintown resident, is in his first year of volunteering for the event.
“A lot of us treat special needs patients in our practices and our goal is to always give back to the community,” Ramunno said. “Dr. Brian Crouse of Boardman was providing dental exams for the third straight year and we wanted to do so today in a non-dental setting.”
Nicholas Menasian of Kent Roosevelt placed third in the 200 and also competed in the shot put.
“I compete in six or seven district and state events every year and this one is as friendly as it gets,” he said. “It’s well-organized and a lot of fun.”
Tom Grumley, who works at Interstate Scrap Processing in Girard, enjoyed the event, especially the opportunity to speak with athletes after their events.
“I heard of this event through our Second Ward Block Watch and Girard Robotics program and am glad to be a part of such a special event,” Grumley said. “Working the awards tent and having the opportunity to speak with the participants only reinforces how special a group they really are.”
In addition to Trumbull and Mahoning counties, other counties represented include Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Portage and Stark counties in Ohio, and Butler County in Pennsylvania.