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Sports day for special students!

Aylmer’s Belmont Park hosted over 125 special-needs students, largely from the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB), for this year’s ProjectActive, a sports day specifically for special-needs kids, focusing on fun and friendship, June 8.

Thirteen years ago the event began as the “Mini Special-Olympics”. In 2007, Brad Snooks, a Special-Needs Aide at Hadley Junior High, became organizer and shifted the event’s focus from competition to participation. “Competition is great for special-needs kids, but I wanted this to be as inclusive as possible,” he said. “Now any student of any age, in a wheelchair or not, can participate like anyone else”.

Snooks says that, despite ProjectActive no longer being competitive, it’s still supported by Special Olympics Québec through their community funding initiatives. That support is crucial in providing equipment.

“This is a day where we bring the whole special-needs community out for activites. Neurotypical kids have programs like basketball, football and other extracurricular activities, but nothing like this exists (anywhere in the region) for our special-needs community”. 

Aylmer Civitans provided food and volunteers for the lunchtime BBQ. Ken LeBlanc, a Civitan volunteer, remembers a moment from this event several years ago. “One young girl, a paraplegic in a wheelchair, wasn’t able to participate in any of the sports. There was dancing, though, and her caregiver picked her up and danced with her. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!”  He recalls the moment as “one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen”.

Past ‘olympics’ were held at Philemon Wright High, but Snooks found the space limited for expansion. Today’s larger community park can accommodate  a larger ProjectActive. With a strong vision and more volunteer support, Snooks hopes to continuing offering the West Quebec special-needs community a growing sports day designed just for them.