EHS Hosts Special Olympics Track and Field Finals
On April 29, Episcopal hosted the finals of the Northern Virginia Track and Field Special Olympics for the 17th consecutive year.
The following events took place on Hoxton track: 100-, 200-, 400- meter races; high jump; long jump; and shot-put. Episcopal has hosted the Special Olympics for 16 years, so it holds a meaningful place in many people’s hearts due to its long history on The Holy Hill. Each year, Episcopal students are paired with a special olympics athlete as their “buddy.” Buddies are assigned the task of staying with and supporting the athlete throughout the day, whether they are on the track competing in their event, or eating lunch together. This year, 120 students volunteered as buddies and 25 local parents and alumni volunteered as adult shepherds and spent the day leading athletes from event to event.
Reverend Betsy Gonzalez offered some thoughts about the day: “For this year, Stewart was a real game changer. The back porch became a real hub of activity. The change to campus made Special Olympics just feel easy. I also had numerous comments from coaches saying this was one of the best years of buddies. They connected great with the kids, and were engaged, and cheered for the whole team, so that was awesome.”
