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16 | March 21, 2019 | the tinley Junction news
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Andrew participates in Special
Games at Lincoln-Way Central
Jennifer McCall
Freelance Reporter
Intense school pride,
playful competition and
a chance to visit another
school were just some
things that made attending
the 18th Annual Special
Games March 7 at
Lincoln-Way Central fun.
But participants from Andrew
High School, Carl
Sandburg High School and
Lockport Township High
School, schools say it’s the
family-type atmosphere
and the building of new
relationships among students
with varying abilities
that keep them coming
back year after year.
Students from Sandburg,
Andrew, and Lockport
Township - along
with seven other schools
- flooded Lincoln-Way
Central’s campus to compete
for the chance to win
awards and the coveted
traveling Spirit Stick.
“I’m excited, I like hockey,”
says Jacob Gibbons,
Special Games Athlete,
and Sophomore at Andrew
High School. Thursday
was Gibbons’ second time
competing in the games. A
fellow student and friend
of Gibbons, Lily Darman,
could be seen standing
with him as support.
Darman says she met
Gibbons after joining her
school’s tutoring program
at the beginning of the
school year. This year is
her first year attending the
games as a volunteer, but
she “hopes to come back
next year.”
“It’s great how all the
schools come together, the
dance-off is always fun,”
says Kim Zartler. Zartler
teaches P.E. and Health
Andrew High School student Erin Kennedy dribbles
a basketball around cones during the 18th Annual
Special Games March 7 at Lincoln-Way Central. Adam
Jomant/22nd Century Media
classes at Andrew. This is
Zartler’s second year in
joining in on the festivities,
but she says Andrew
has been participating
in the special games for
about ten years.
“The excitement from
the kids and the opportunities
they get creating
relationships with students
from different schools, are
the biggest takeaways for
me,” says Lockport
Special Education
Teacher Hannah Hollatz.
“The energy during the
bus ride over here was
amazing,” she added.
The agenda for the day
was packed full of activities.
The games kicked off
with an opening ceremony
that included a parade of
all athletes and volunteers
involved. Next was the
lighting of the torch and
the mascot relay race. After
that, the athletes displayed
skills in sports like basketball,
football, and bowling.
The overall tone and
reason for the event’s lasting
success is a strong
sense of unity among different
communities. The
game’s inception, starting
back in 2002 with only six
High Schools and 150 athletes,
has grown to more
than ten schools and about
400 athletes today.
“It’s an outstanding opportunity
for our students
[with disabilities] to experience
some success,” says
Doctor Angela Huntington,
Director of Special
Education for Lockport
Township High.
She explains that the
special games give other
participating students insight
into the lives of students
with disabilities.
They get to see that students
with disabilities have
the ability to compete and
can be quite competitive.
After wrapping up the
games and having some
lunch, everyone gathered
in the main field house
for the closing ceremony.
Lockport Township had the
honors of passing the spirit
stick to this year’s winner
of the Special Games, Lincoln-Way
West.