Local Special Olympics athlete Chucky Woody waves as he prepares to pick up his Partner Up Power Up welcome bag Monday, March 1 during a special kickoff parade at Mitchell High School. (Submitted photo)
LEDGER — Special Olympics Mitchell County activities have been on pause since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, but the local athletes were treated to a special surprise Monday, March 1.
The local athletes, who are participating in a fitness and wellness program called Partner Up Power up, were treated to a drive-thru celebration at Mitchell High to pick up their welcome bags and training manuals for the 10-week program that started earlier this month.
Special Olympics athletes picked up their materials in the Mitchell High drop-off circle at the front of the school. Mitchell students greeted the athletes and cheered them on with smiles as they drove around the circle in buses, vans and cars.
The Mitchell High band was also on hand to add excitement to the parade and some of the vehicles were decorated especially for the occasion.
“As this is the only program we are going to be able to do this semester, we decided we wanted to celebrate our athletes in some small way,” said Special Olympics Mitchell County Coordinator Sarah Hobart.
At the end of the circle, athletes picked up Parter Up Power Up welcome bags packed full with a playbook, drawstring bag, cooling towel and a jump rope.
For every 15 days of activities that athletes report, the Special Olympics Mitchell will provide incentives including a T-shirt, cap, dog tag and commemorative coin.
Special Olympics Mitchell’s involvement in Partner Up Power Up comes at a key time for the organization, Hobart said.
Before the peak of the pandemic, athletes were training for competition in track and field, aquatics, bowling, equestrian and bocce, as part of the spring lineup of sports.
With competition on hold indefinitely, Partner up Power Up will keep the organization’s 125 participants active.
“This 10-week fitness and wellness program will help our athletes transition back to in-person training as soon as we are given permission from the international and state offices of Special Olympics,” Hobart said.
Partner Up Power Up is an inclusive program that combines individuals with intellectual disabilities (athletes) and individuals without disabilities (partners) on sports teams.
Special Olympics Mitchell plans to provide Partner Up Power Up opportunities to both Head Start locations in Mitchell County as a unified program, Hobart added.