Each year, Cass High School hosts the Special Olympics, an event in which students with disabilities are able to compete in a series of athletic competitive events for prizes, along with a fun experience that they might not have had otherwise. There are several events that the students are signed up to take part in, including the long jump, 50-meter and 100-meter dash, assisted running, tennis ball throw, softball throw, and shot put.

The Special Olympics was founded in 1968 and has been a special tradition for Cass High School for five years in a row with no plans on stopping anytime soon. There are many athletic events, as well as face-painting, chalk drawing, and games to play when students are not competing.

The Special Olympics consists of a buddy system, and each Olympian gets paired with a buddy, usually a junior or senior, for the day. These buddies are a large part of what makes the event so much more gratifying. Junior football and soccer player, Isai Romero says, “At my first Special Olympics, being a buddy was a good experience, and I made a new friend during the process. It was great to see other people enjoying themselves as much as I was.” These students meet new people and learn more about them. However, Isai was not the only new person to participate; there was a great deal more. Junior Chloe Carpenter was also new to being a buddy and had a blast helping out at the event. “This was my first-year time participating in the Special Olympics,” she says. “I had a lot of fun playing games and encouraging my buddy before his races. I made a new friend, and I hope to see my buddy again next year.”

Many new students who were buddies this year also got to learn a different perspective on competition and sports. Arliny Matos, a journalist and basketball cheerleader states, “I had so much fun keeping track of the softball throw and giving the participants their ribbons or metals. As I finished that with my partner, Bryan, we got to take care of our buddy, Justin, and had so much fun teaching him how to play checkers and cheering him on during his 100-meter dash.”

To sum up the 2019 Cass High School Special Olympics, it was a huge hit. The students made plenty of new friends, and they had so much fun with the events that took place. Everybody had a great time, and Cass does not plan on stopping this event any time soon.