Sunday, April 21, Commack School District hosted the Special Olympics 2013. Over 800 athletes and 600 volunteers participated in track & field and tennis events. Athletes of all ages marched in the opening ceremony finishing in front of a grandstand filled with dignitaries . T.J. Timmons wowed the crowd by singing the National Anthem a cappella without missing a beat or a word. T.J. was followed by Yavuz Ozdemir and Jessica Spitz who recited the Special Olympic Pledge “Let me win, But if I cannot win, Let me be brave in the attempt”. The crowd went wild.
The event was the brainchild of the district’s Community Relations Coordinator, Debbie Virga. “What can I say. Commack may not have a town, but you sure can’t beat our community! The people in Commack opened their hearts to these very special athletes and their families. These athletes with varying degrees of disabilities, showed all of us that whatever disabilities or roadblocks they may have, they keep trying. It’s as the Special Olympic oath say’s: ‘Let me win, But if I cannot win, Let me be brave in the attempt.’ We owe them a great deal of gratitude. Bring on next year!”
The idea for Special Olympics began in the late 1950’s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver decided to improve the lives of children with intellectual disabilities. The first Special Olympic Game took place in 1968. Today, Special Olympic events take place almost every day of the year. The organization is one of only two organizations legally permitted to use “Olympics” as part of its official name.