By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR — Local Boy Scouts helped make the Special Olympics more special this past weekend.
Twenty-nine Scouts from Troop 5700 volunteered during the summer games held at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, starting with the opening ceremony on Friday night.
Boy Scout Ethan Miester, 13, of East Windsor, said his favorite part of volunteering was “seeing athletes I’ve seen in the past at the opening ceremony.”
They joined nearly 2,500 Special Olympics athletes from throughout New Jersey as well as hundreds of coaches, family members, friends, spectators and other volunteers on the field for the flag ceremony, which helps kick-off the multi-day Special Olympics New Jersey competition in which athletes participate in seven sports.
Boy Scout Lance Leinhard, 12, of East Windsor, said he enjoys going to see the athletes compete, especially in powerlifting.
Besides competing in aquatics, bocce, gymnastics, powerlifting, softball, baseball, tennis, and track and field, the games also offer unified sports opportunities during which athletes with and without intellectual disabilities come together to compete on the same team.
“This is one of the Scouts’ favorite events during the year,” Scoutmaster Greg Charache said. “They really get a sense of what it means to volunteer, give back to the community, and help others less fortunate than they are.”
Troop 5700 has participated in the Special Olympics every year for at least the last 20 years, he said. The Scouts march into the stadium with the athletes and take part in the opening ceremony but they also take on numerous other chores during the games.
Scouts pass out programs, assist with food distribution and cleanup in the dining halls, volunteer in the ShopRite food tent and host a cookie making booth where they bake and hand out chocolate chip cookies to all the athletes on Saturday and Sunday. They also dress up as mascots and interact with the athletes while attending the various sporting events.
Boy Scout Ian McKay, 13, of East Windsor, said he enjoyed “making cookies for the athletes” while fellow Scout Andrew Luczak, 12, of East Windsor, said his favorite part of the experience was “making the athletes happy in the Kool-Aid guy suit.”
Scouts can earn the “Disabilities Awareness“ merit badge after attending this event but they can also come away with so much more.
Chris Infosino,14, of East Windsor, said volunteering at the food tent gave him the opportunity to meet other volunteers.
The mission of Special Olympics New Jersey is to provide sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community, according to its website.
