The 37th annual Special Olympics Virgin Islands is slated to take place at St. Croix’s Renaissance Park on March 29.
“One of the goals of Special Olympics Virgin Islands is to facilitate community involvement and integration with people having disabilities because everyone has a gift to give,” said spokeswoman Sarah Jaffurs in a statement.
“Numerous Special Olympics Virgin Islands athletes live, work and attend schools in our V.I. community,” she said.
At the event, St. Thomas and St. John athletes will join St. Croix’s as they compete for medals in a slew of track and field events, wheelchair races, not to mention basketball, tennis, bocce and a softball throw.
Every four years, athletes are invited from the territory to the Special Olympics World Games, and, although they’re not always able to attend due to a lack of funds, Virgin Islanders have gone to the mainland United States, Ireland and the last set of World Games in Greece in July 2012 to compete.
This year’s games will see Jana Lee at the helm of the organization as chapter director having recently taken over for her mother, Janice Lee, who retired after 36 years of service.
The parade will be led by St. Croix Central High School’s JROTC and will begin at 9:15 a.m. Athletes and registered volunteers are asked to be at the field by 8 a.m.
Jaffurs said the training of Special Olympic athletes is critical to their success and asks all Virgin Islanders to, “Come out to the field to show support for your Special Olympics Virgin Islands athletes.”
Since its inception in 1977, the all-volunteer organization known as Special Olympics Virgin Islands has been 100 percent nonprofit as it strives to hold games designed for people 8 years old and older who possess either intellectual or developmental disabilities.
