Special Olympics hosts Young Athlete Play Day in Oskaloosa on Feb. 9
The opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics at the William Penn PAC Center in 2011
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The third annual Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) Young Athletes Play Activity Day is set for Thursday, February 9 at Penn Activity Center at William Penn University in Oskaloosa. The day is sponsored by Variety – The Children’s Charity. Event organizers expect 80 children ages 2-8 will participate in event from 9:30-11:15 a.m. Penn University students will volunteer to run each event and work as team leaders.
The Young Athletes Play Day is a program designed to provide play activities and socialization opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities between the ages of two and eight.
“This program was created to serve children too young to participate in traditional Special Olympics Iowa games (minimum entry age being eight years and up),” said SOIA Director of Athlete Initiatives Kathy Irving. “We are thrilled with the response from the Oskaloosa
community and what this program will mean for the children with intellectual disabilities and their families.”
Irving also noted the Play Days also provide networking opportunities for parents of children with intellectual disabilities. Activities for the day include: ball darts, basketball, batting, bowling, 25-foot dash, musical balance beam, ribbon routine, soccer kick, standing long jump and tennis ball throw.
