The St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears are heading to the Special Olympics’ Provincial Championships in Peterborough May 29-31.
“The Bears have attended the Provincial Championships since 2014, though this is the first championship that we will compete in unified basketball, unified floor hockey, and track and field,” says Jennifer Palangio, Special Education Curriculum Lead.
“Unified sport teams consist of NDA students and Special Olympian students playing side by side,” she explains.
There will be over 1000 athletes from across Canada and United States competing in the games this year. Twenty-two Bear athletes (NDA and Special Olympian) and nine coaches will make up the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Special Olympic Team. In total, over 7,500 secondary school athletes competed in one or more of over 70 Special Olympics’ regional qualifiers this year.
“The SJSH Special Olympian students have been training for this championship all year,” says Palangio.
“The students have been working out in the weight room, developing their skills in team sports such as basketball, soccer, floor hockey, bocce, cross country running, track and field, and snowshoe races, and have been learning about sportsmanship and healthy eating. The Special Olympics program promotes a healthy lifestyle that the students will carry on into their adult life,” she adds.
SJSH Special Olympianslthank Goodlife Sports For Kids who donated $5000.00 to buy uniforms and sports equipment, Elizabeth Fava who raised $4000.00 in the Polar Plunge this past March, Joyce Daniels and Dave Wieggers who hosted the annual Basketball Free Throw this year raising $630.00 to assist with the championship’s registration fee, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board elementary school staff and students who support our annual BBQs at their track and field meets and Jim Jennings who faithfully makes and sells popcorn weekly in the SJSH cafeteria.
The Bears thank Canadian Tire and Source for Sports for providing store discounts when purchasing sports’ equipment for the Special Olympic team.
"This generosity has provided our Special Olympians the opportunity to participate in the regional qualifiers and Provincial Championship," the school continued in a release.
To learn more about the Provincial Championships or to follow the games from home visit: http://sooschollschampionships2018.ca/fan-info/
