By PATRICIA LUONG AND ASHLEY LEUNG
A spring day filled with cheer, May 2, 2013 was a memorable to the Malden community, especially the special education population at Malden High School; Special Olympics. Dana Brown, the principal of MHS as well as the one of the coordinators for the Special Olympics, created this event because he as well as others, felt the need to “offer [the] special education population an opportunity to participate in these international games.”
This year Special Olympics took place at the newly renovated MacDonald Stadium. The 50 meter walk, tennis ball/softball throw, and 200 meter race were just some of the fun events the kids participated in.
The special needs community and parents are not the only ones that look forward to this event; students at MHS are also involved and excited. This year, many students volunteered and helped out at the Special Olympics, something that was not only was it beneficial to the event, but also to the students themselves. Senior Valentine Banor volunteered at the Special Olympics for the first time this year and stated that the Special Olympics is probably the “greatest outdoor event” coordinated. He felt that the event helped bind the community together by integrating “the special need students and athletes,” “[and it] makes us both strong.” It was rewarding for Banor as “there is nothing better than seeing these kids smile.”
Devon Moran, a senior who has volunteered at the Special Olympics all four years of her high school career, knows how important this event is to the MHS community. “It really brings the athletes and volunteers closer together,” says Moran. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience for Moran as there is “nothing more amazing than seeing the joy and pride the athletes take when participating in the games.”
Each and every year, more people look forward to the Special Olympics. The event gets bigger and better, and this year was no exception. Principal Brown already has high aspirations for next year’s Special Olympics. According to Principal Brown, the main significance of the event to the city is that “MHS is a special place where all sorts of people work, study, etc. It is a true community. Special Olympics is just one symbol of that unity.”
