Editorial: More than just games

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 | 8:49 a.m.

For the past three years Special Olympics Nevada and the Clark County School District have worked together on a program called Unified Sports. It enables students with developmental disabilities to team up in a variety of sports with students who do not have disabilities. It's an outstanding success story that anyone will be able to witness for himself Thursday and Friday. This is when the 2005 Unified Sports Track and Field Championships will take place at Western High School. Thursday's activities feature elementary students from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Friday athletes from middle and high schools compete from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In the first year of the program 14 schools and 750 students participated. This year 39 schools and more than 2,000 students are involved. We support the goal set by the district and Special Olympics Nevada -- to spread the program to all 300-plus Clark County Schools and involve as many of the more than 30,000 developmentally disabled students as possible.

The school district picks up some of the transportation costs, but otherwise the program is funded by Special Olympics Nevada. It gains its financial support from many Southern Nevada individuals and businesses. The businesses also supply hundreds of volunteers from among their employees. They assist with coaching, organizing and supervising the athletic events. Without these kinds of donations, there would be no Unified Sports, with its many seasonal competitions that bring joy to so many children and their parents.

It's easy to see the fun that children have while competing. But there's another aspect of Unified Sports that's just as important. The Special Olympians gain a sense of belonging and accomplishment, and those who are not developmentally disabled gain a lasting understanding of the challenges ahead for so many of their fellow students. We believe in what Unified Sports is bringing to the community and we hope it is soon able to achieve its goal of total inclusion.