Special Olympics a success

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt Paula Bissonette
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Team Vance hosted more than 325 Special Olympians from Garfield, Grant and Kay counties April 2 for the Area 6 Special Olympics Track and Field meet.
Just as the athletes prepare in advance for this competition, the people at Vance Air Force Base start work on this event weeks ahead of time.
The first committee meeting was in February and section directors were chosen at that time. The different sections consist of registration, food, facilities, Olympic Village, opening ceremonies, volunteers, awards, wheelchair events and track and field events.
"It is an honor for Team Vance to host the Area 6 Special Olympics; there's never a shortage of volunteers for this event," said 1st Lt Eric Bissonette, event co-coordinator. More than 200 members of Vance AFB
volunteered, including active duty, civilian and dependents, to make this event a success. There were volunteers to pick up and distribute food, register the teams upon arrival, organize the volunteers, measure softball throws and time each athlete as they raced around the track. Some volunteers were designated to cheer the athletes on as they ran or walked their way to the finish line, while others were designated as huggers who walked around and greeted the athletes and welcomed them to the base with a hug. The huggers and cheering sections are just a few of the extras offered at the Area 6 Special Olympics hosted by Vance AFB, which set it apart from other events.
"This is the nicest track meet in the state," said Susan Glasgow, Area 6 director. "It's the most organized and they have the most activities for the athletes. Most track meets are held at high schools with student volunteers; they're not nearly as efficient as what we have here [at Vance AFB]."
This year's opening ceremonies included music from the Pioneer High School band, a parade of athletes and a T-37 four-ship flyover courtesy of the 33 Flying Training Squadron. The Mayor of Enid, Irv Honigsberg, and Col Wade Johnson, 71st Flying Training Wing vice commander, were on hand to open the games and cheer on the athletes. The events included wheelchair races, softball throws, long jumps and 50, 100 and 1,500 meter dashes, just to name a few. There were also numerous games and activities for the athletes while they were not competing -- the Olympic Village offered a cakewalk, balloon animals and face painting.
The enthusiasm of this event was evident as each and every award announcement was met with applause and cheers throughout the day. After the events began at 10 a.m., food collection and distribution rushed to meet the 11:30 a.m. lunchtime and accommodate the hundreds of athletes and coaches. Several downtown businesses donated food and bottled water to support this event. "Vance [AFB] has hosted the Special Olympics for more than 25 years and could not do it without all the generous donations from the Enid community and area businesses," Lieutenant Bissonette said.
The final race, a 1,500-meter run, was complete at 4 p.m. and signaled the end of this inspiring event.