MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The Middletown Area School District (MASD) hosted its first-ever, district-wide, Special Olympics Field Day at its turf stadium on Tuesday.
Students with varying disabilities, grades pre-K through 12, had the opportunity to compete in different games while their classmates cheered them on. Parents, guardians, and loved ones also got to watch their students compete and cheer them on from the stands.
“Oftentimes things might have to be accommodated or modified, but this is a day for them to compete in the games and show their talents,” said Nicole Taylor, the director of Special Needs Education at MASD.
Taylor said the Special Olympics Area M games were canceled due to there not being an available location. School officials were able to band together to provide students with a chance to still compete and be in the games.
The school districts moved to incorporate a field day for students as well as kept students active with others participating in the games.
“We are having an absolute blast, thank you to Middletown for having this awesome event for our kids to be outside on this beautiful day,” said Matthew Fagan, a parent who also came out to support his daughter, Kairi Fagan.
Fagan said that Kairi has been involved in a wide range of sports, including cheer, field hockey, baseball, and soon-to-be dance. Fagan said that the opportunity to be involved is not only important to him but also to his daughter.
“Everyone thinks of specialist kids as different. They’re not, they’re kids like everybody else. They deserve the opportunity to do everything they do,” said Fagan.
Another student competing in the games today was 18-year-old Mikael Monge, a 12th grader at Middletown Are High School.
Monge is bound to his wheelchair and participated in the wheelchair race on Monday Special Olympic Field Day. While classmates cheered on his peers, Monge said he hopes other school districts look to them as an inspiration.
“For a lot of us who are handicapped and have different disabilities we deserve a chance to shine and show people what we got out there and inspire other people that everything is possible,” said Monge.
School officials say although this was the first-ever Special Olympic Field Day, it will not be the last. They hope that the Special Olympics Area M puts on the games next year.
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