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Special day for special athletes

Canton Repository - 5/28/2017

May 28--NORTH CANTON -- More than 150 athletes from Stark and neighboring counties competed Saturday at the North Canton Jaycees-Stark County DD Special Olympics Invitational track meet.

The event at North Canton Memorial Stadium included track and field competition, as well as bocce. It's one of several such meets for children and adults with mental and developmental disabilities as they prepare to compete in a statewide Special Olympics event in Columbus at the end of June.

Members of the North Canton Jaycees have been working with Stark County DD since 1969 to organize the competition. This is the first year the Jaycees were permitted to tie the event to the Special Olympics.

Two local teams -- Stark County DD and the Stark Public Royal Knights -- were joined by teams from Carroll, Portage, Summit and Medina counties in the competition.

Special Olympics allows children to begin participating at age 8 and continue as adults. Saturday's event separated participants based on age, skills and qualifying scores.

The event provides participants with opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share their friendship with other athletes, Jaycees members said. Participants improve their physical fitness and motor skills, while building greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image.

The Jaycees were assisted by a dozen area companies that helped to sponsor the event. CSE Federal Credit Union was a presenting sponsor and supplied medals for participants, while McDonald's restaurants operated by Tomtreyco Inc. provided lunches, Jaycees members said.

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