The Bowie County Special Olympics was held Friday at the New Boston High School Stadium, where athletes from schools in Bowie and Cass counties competed for ribbons and medals.
"The kids look so forward to this. We had about 350 athletes today," said Dianna Melton, New Boston High School Life Skills teacher and president of the Bowie County Special Olympics Board. "This is for all the schools in Bowie and Cass counties."
Every participating athlete received a ribbon for field events and medals for track events.
Field events include tennis ball throw, softball throw, turbo javelin, shotput, and running and standing long jump.
Track events include races in 10, 50, 100 and 200 meter lengths.
Delegates from local schools included featured athletes from Red Lick, Redwater, Evergreen, Maud, Pleasant Grove, James Bowie, Linden, Paul Pewitt, Cass County SSA, Liberty-Eylau, New Boston and Crestview.
Each school was represented by a different color T-shirt printed with this year's slogan: "Why fit in when you were born to stand out!"
The New Boston Boy Scouts presented the flag at the end of the field. Adrianna Johnson recited the Pledge of Allegiance and Aaron Alford sang the national anthem.
Kristin Barker recited the Special Olympics oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
The games were emceed by Charlie Melton.
New Boston High School's Life Skills class honored their four graduating seniors by allowing them to present the torch after it had made its way around the track in the torch relay. A member from each school was chosen to participate in the relay.
Escorting the seniors from the track to the flame was Craig Norman, a captain from the Telford Prison System and certified Special Olympics coach in softball and track.
Justin Crye, one of the graduating seniors, was given the honor of lighting the Flame of Hope with the torch.