SUBMITTED PHOTO — Marshalltown Schools Special Olympics, which was brought back to the district in 2023, seeks funding for its growing program.

Special Olympics offers sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. The Marshalltown Schools Special Olympics, which started up again in 2023, wants to ensure participants thrive.

“[The district’s] Special Olympics was turned over to Parks and Rec in 2012. Last year, we met with Special Olympics of Iowa and Matt Cretsinger, director of special services, who agreed to let us bring it back into school,” said Susan Arifi, coordinator of the district program and special education instructor. “I think a lot of the community doesn’t know that we have Special Olympics again because we were out of commission for so long. And in the Marshalltown community, Special Olympics was a big deal for a very long time.”

What began with a handful of participants has now grown to 70 — a figure that includes both student athletes and unified partners (those without intellectual disabilities who train and compete with Special Olympics athletes on the same sports teams). But the increase in enrollment has led to a shortage of equipment, organizers said. They need adaptive equipment such as life jackets, ramps for bowling, bikes and snow shoes.

Special Olympics is not an official district program and does not receive any district funding. When Aly Wenner learned this, she turned to social media, looking for fundraising ideas. She has two children who participate and has seen the benefits of their enrollment.

“The Special Olympics within the district is run by a seriously dedicated group of educators and paras who have gone above and beyond to get the program up off the ground so we are trying to help to ensure the program can continue to grow and provide an opportunity for all students within our district to be able to participate in their sport of choice,” she wrote in her post.

Arifi noted that the way funding works is whatever they raise goes through Special Olympics Iowa, which holds the funds in an account.

“When we want to get something like equipment or uniforms, then we have to request the money back from Special Olympics,” she said.

The district issued this statement regarding its partnership: “The Marshalltown Community School District is deeply committed to supporting all of our students, including those who participate in the Special Olympics. While Special Olympics is not an official district program, we are proud to partner with and provide resources to this valuable initiative. Over the years, the district has shared vehicles, drivers and fuel to transport our student-athletes, loaned equipment, and offered flexibility to our staff members who wish to volunteer their time. These efforts reflect our dedication to empowering students of all abilities to thrive both in and out of the classroom. We value the role of the Special Olympics in fostering inclusion and achievement and are grateful for the collaboration and community spirit it inspires.”

Lauren Bottom, a paraeducator at Lenihan Intermediate, said these youth are now able to letter in high school through Special Olympics.

“This is wonderful, and people have also talked about wanting to get the kids’ names recorded on the record board at the high school,” she added.

Wenner wants to see Special Olympics athletes afforded the same opportunities and resources as traditional athletes.

“As somebody who has a son who does sports through the district, uniforms are readily available. There are planned photo days . . . From a parent perspective, it was very much identifying those kinds of discrepancies,” Wenner said.

While the school district-based Special Olympics is now in its second school year, the one offered through Parks and Rec is still going strong and is called Marshalltown Park and Rec Super Stars.

“Since we offer the Camp Marshalltown day camp during the summer, we thought it was the best fit for us to continue to offer Special Olympics, rather than somebody else in the community having to do it,” Parks and Rec Recreation Supervisor Jennifer Hart said.

She added that prior to taking over the district’s program, Parks and Rec had not offered Special Olympics.

“But we have ever since 2012. We handle all athletes age 8 and older, not just school aged like the district’s program. So once the athlete graduates, they don’t have anything else unless they come to us,” Hart said. “We also have our own account and can fundraise on our own. We currently have 100 members.”

When Parks and Rec took over the program, Hart was the Central Area Director for Special Olympics Iowa. Former Marshalltown Community School District Superintendent Marvin Wade approached her about Parks and Rec taking over due to lack of funding in the district.

“I talked with our then-director Terry Gray and got it figured out. I did a bunch of fundraising and secured some grants to purchase all the equipment needed,” Hart said.

A person can belong to both Marshalltown-based Special Olympics groups if eligible.

“The biggest thing is I just want all of them to be inclusive. I just want opportunities for everybody. We have participants from Grinnell, Tama, Hardin County, CIRSI and more,” she said.

The district’s program is for students only, but organizers say that is not a detriment. The program kicks off the week before school starts and goes until the end of the school year.

Mady Sodders, a special education teacher and coach at the high school, has witnessed friendships and bonds formed among the athletes and unified partners — many of which are fellow classmates.

“I think the reason we wanted to bring it back was we thought all of our kids within the district had something that they could be included in and participate in and feel safe and supported, with adults that they felt comfortable around,” Sodders said. “I think it’s just an added benefit that they are feeling included and an important member of each school community.”

To learn more about Marshalltown Schools Special Olympics, contact Wenner at: Alyssawenner95@hotmail.com. To sign your child up to be an athlete or unified partner, contact the school directly. To learn more about Marshalltown Park and Rec Super Stars, contact Hart at 641-754-5715 ext 3 or jhart@marshalltown-ia.gov.