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A subset of students from the Milpitas Unified School District took to the fields at Mission College, becoming part of the 34-year tradition of the Kiwanis Special Games.
They were among nearly 900 severely challenged students from 62 public and private schools across Santa Clara County who became athletes during the one-day event May 18 established by the Los Altos Kiwanis Club and produced by all of the Kiwanis clubs of Division 34 and neighboring Division 12.
"They've never ever been a part of this," Jeff Waugh, a Milpitas High School teacher for moderate/severe students in a community-based instruction special education class, said of the school district.
The only representation Milpitas had in previous years was from teachers and para-educators at the Santa Clara County Office of Education working with students placed in their program.
Waugh said he wanted to get his students involved when he joined Milpitas this year, having witnessed firsthand the benefits of the games for five consecutive years prior.
"I don't think these kids have ever experienced that so it's a good feeling for them, and it's fun," he said. "I want the kids to just have a good time and have other people besides me and my staff rooting for them."
This year Waugh collaborated with Milpitas High colleague David Sorensen in addition to special ed teachers Rozina Kapadia at Thomas Russell Middle School and Stephanie Bentzel with the district's ACCESS Post-Secondary Program
Special Games
The event opened with a Parade of Athletes just after 9:30 a.m. where all participants' names were announced and groups held their banners high as they walked down the track, receiving high-fives from volunteers for the event.
"It's such a beautiful thing," Kapadia said of the parade. "It's just amazing because of the camaraderie and just getting to see all the special needs kids come together."
The program continued with a welcome by Worku Negash, vice president of Mission College, and Judy Litteer and Grant Imper, lieutenant governors for Kiwanis divisions 34 and 12, respectively; Pledge of Allegiance by Brandon Pham of Branham High School; national anthem by Judy Miner, president of Foothill College; Special Games Oath by Michael Eaton of Branham High School; and declaration of the games opening by Dick Olmstead, Kiwanis' California-Nevada-Hawaii governor.
"On behalf of more than 14,000 Kiwanians in California, Nevada and Hawaii, I thank you for this..." he said. "Thirty-four years ago a Kiwanian had a dream, and started these games."
Two adaptive physical education teachers and Los Altos Kiwanian Walter Chronert organized the first event in 1979. Under Chronert's leadership spanning more than 25 years, the games flourished from modest beginnings involving just the Los Altos Kiwanis Club to the regional event it is today.
More well-known programs like the Special Olympics presume a much higher level of function while the Special Games exclude no one.
Each athlete is presented a T-shirt and participant ribbon, and placed in a group with half a dozen others with similar age, mobility and athletic abilities so competition within the group is balanced.
"There's advanced to very beginner, and you'll see we have kids in wheelchairs where they still have some coordination, they can knock cans off a table," Waugh said. "Then you've got kids who can run."
Groups spend two hours competing as time and energy permits in different athletic events they are assigned, appropriate to those abilities, ranging from the 25-yard dash to dropping a bean bag on a target by signaling a volunteer who actually drops the bag. Each event contestant is awarded a first, second, third or "best effort" ribbon.
"My students were proud of the ribbons they earned but, more importantly, they enjoyed meeting students from other schools, competing with each other and feeling successful," Bentzel said.
About 5,000 ribbons are given out in total throughout the day each year.
Kiwanians lead annual event with heart
All events are led and managed by more than 600 Kiwanis members from 30 Kiwanis clubs in addition to high school Key clubs, other organizations and assistance from friends, family, schoolmates, teachers and caregivers who accompany the athletes. It was the first time the event was held at Mission College after several years at De Anza College.
"The volunteers from the Kiwanis Club did an outstanding job," Bentzel said. "The event was very well organized. There must have been hundreds of participants, and the volunteers were upbeat and friendly."
Jim Hall, a member from Kiwanis of Menlo Park, was one of the hundreds volunteering that day.
"I came in to Kiwanis in about 1990 and I've been here at the games 22 years," he said. "I think it's one of the greatest things that we do, and I'm just so passionate about it as our club is just to see people that are thrilled to be here; the individuals, the athletes are happy to be here; their parents are happy they're here; their friends are happy they're here; their teachers are happy they're here. It's just a heartwarming thing."
He said the most fulfilling part of his day is the enthusiasm from everyone there. Hall also enjoys passing out ribbons for those who place or participate.
"I have been blessed to see these wonderful children and young adults who like to win, and they're so happy to get some recognition ... and that's what this is all about," he said.
Hall added it has been nice to see the event evolve through the years, growing from the 200 student athletes during his first game to the more than 800 at the college last month.
"We know the Kiwanis mission is to change the world one child and one community at a time," Olmstead said. "Today you are making a difference in the lives of many of our community members, and they deserve every chance they get today to compete and to win but most of all to have a great time out here in this beautiful weather."
For more information about the games, visit losaltoskiwanis.org/sg.
Contact Shannon Barry at sbarry@themilpitaspost.com or 408-262-2454. Visit us on our social media sites at facebook.com/milpitas post and twitter.com/milpitaspost.
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