MARION, Ind. - Sitting just 23-days from the start of the 2023 Outdoor NAIA Track & Field Championships, Indiana Wesleyan Athletics is excited to announce, in collaboration with Special Olympics Indiana and the Grant County Special Education Co-op, the 2023 Unified Track & Field NAIA Teaming Up for Character™ event. NAIA Athletes from around the country will serve as volunteers for the event, serving in various roles, including starting line stagers, fan blocks, finish line hype groups, and much more.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Special Olympics Indiana and the Grant County Special Education Co-op for this year's Teaming Up for Character™ event," said Steven Gidley, Associate Athletic Director. "I can't think of a better way to kick off the 2023 Outdoor NAIA Track & Field National Championships, then connecting and serving Unified Athletes who have a great deal of passion and enthusiasm for the sport, just like the NAIA athletes who will start competing on Wednesday."
This year's event will feature five schools from Grant County as they compete in the 25m hurdles, 50m, 100m relay, wheelchair races, long jump, and tennis/softball toss. Additionally, 75 preschoolers from the Little Giants Preschool will participate in the Little Feet Meet.
Lisa Graham commented, "Young Champions Unified Game Day is one of the best days of the school year! Students with and without disabilities join together in friendly competition between the 5 Grant Co. school districts. Making it even more exciting this year is the partnership we have with IWU and the NAIA athletes. Being on the college campus and having the energy of the NAIA National Champion athletes volunteering and working with us is going to be incredible! What a great day it will be!"
During the day's festivities you will want to stop at the MAKING AN IMPACT food truck to fuel your body up. This is a student run business where people with intellectual disabilities are learning valuable employability skills. They are known for their contagious smiles and great food! Stop by and say hello while ordering something good. All proceeds go back into the program to educate students and teach independence!
Coaches, Athletes, and Administrators from around the United States will dawn the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University starting on Monday, May 22, 2023, with the NAIA Teaming Up for Character™ event taking place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Indiana Wesleyan Track & Field complex. The local community is invited to participate beforehand or during the event.
Those interested in contributing to this impactful event may contact Steven Gidley at steven.gidley@indwes.edu.
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS INDIANA
Special Olympics Indiana is a not-for-profit organization that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in more than 20 Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, reaching more than 14,000 athletes across Indiana. The organization receives no federal or state-appropriated funds, is not a United Way agency, and relies entirely on corporate, civic and individual donations. For more information about Special Olympics Indiana, call (317) 328-2000 or visit
www.soindiana.org.
ABOUT UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS
Special Olympics' Unified Champion Schools program is defined as a pre-school, primary school, secondary school, college, or university offering Unified Sports® opportunities to its students across the world. Unified Champion Schools programming is designed to facilitate Special Olympics Unified Sports®, provide classroom and community experiences that reduce bullying and exclusion, promote healthy activities, combat stereotypes and negative attitudes, eliminate hurtful language in schools, and engage young people in activities that lead to improved behavior and school climate.
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