More than 300 Ritenour High School (RHS) students created lasting memories for more than 100 athletes who participated in Special Olympics Track & Field on April 18. It was the seventh year that RHS hosted Special Olympics for Ritenour and other north St. Louis County elementary, middle and high school students. 

In addition to collecting ribbons for acing track and field events, the Special Olympians filled bags with prizes, crafts and candy from the games and activities that RHS students sponsored in their Olympic Village outside of Moore Field. They also got to eat lunch in the stadium with their high school buddies.

Special Olympians came from Buder, Iveland, Kratz, Marion and Marvin elementary schools, as well as Hoech and Ritenour middle schools. Other Special Olympians joined the fun from Ackerman, Ferguson Middle, Hazelwood Southeast Middle, Northview Elementary and Riverview Central Middle School. 

The Husky’s track and field athletes ran the running, throwing and jumping events inside Moore stadium, while student volunteers from a variety of clubs and teams hosted games and activities booths such as a ring toss, bean bag throw, a bubble booth, a variety of sensory crafts, a parachute to run under, and a station to decorate visors, make beaded bracelets, and get manicures and washable tattoos, as well as music for dancing. 

The day brought as many smiles to the faces of our high school buddies and organizers as it brought to the faces of the young athletes!

RHS freshman Kylee Strong said being a Special Olympics buddy for the first time brought her more joy than expected as she accompanied a Special Olympian from Buder to her events and throughout Olympic Village.

“It warms my heart seeing all the kids having fun and making new friends,” said Strong. “It’s a lot of fun to be part of this.”