East County Special Olympics Draws Impressive Turnout

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – Some 415 student athletes converged Friday on Liberty High School in Brentwood for the annual Special Olympics Schools Partnership Program Track and Field Events. Throughout the busy morning and early afternoon, the student athletes who range from kindergarten-age to transition-age (18-22 years old), hit the field, competing in a number of contests.

"The day was filled with plenty of determination, encouragement and celebration in achievement – plus a lot of smiles," said Jonathan Lance, spokesperson for the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

The student athletes represented East County special education classes from Krey, Los Medanos and Turner elementary schools; Hillview, Martin Luther King, Edna Hill, O’Hara Park, Park and Rancho Medanos middle schools; Antioch, Deer Valley, Freedom, Heritage, Liberty and Pittsburg high schools; and Deer Valley, Gateway Program, Heritage and Liberty transition schools.

“Despite the blustery day, we had more than 40 special-education classes in attendance," said Sherri Roberti, CCCOE's Special Olympics Schools Partnership Program coordinator and special education teacher.

"The students had a blast engaging in the turbo-javelin, softball throw, standing long jump, and the 50- and 100-meter races," Roberti said. "The day finished with a super-fast Unified Relay Race that was enjoyed by all!"

The Special Olympics Northern California Schools Partnership Program is a unique education program in K-12 schools. It unifies students with and without disabilities through sports and whole-school involvement activities that provide them with the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to create and sustain school communities that promote inclusion, acceptance and respect for all students.

Main photo by Jonathan Lance/CCCOE