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Vidalia Lower Elementary Assistant Principal Kalandra Loyd used two oversized foam hands to show Grayson Richard and her other students which team of athletes is number one in her book. Richard and other students participated in the third annual Special Olympics Day at Vidalia High School. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Frantasia Thomas celebrates her bronze medal on the podium with Ronica Lewis, who won silver, and Ja’Kayla Lee, who won gold, in the standing long jump. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Ferriday Lower Elementary student Tyus Williams heads to the finish line in the 25-yard run. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Vidalia Lower Elementary student Hunter McCarthy reaches up for a hug with teacher Anita Green. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Ferriday High School’s Chris Clark holds the torch as Lilliona Campbell sings the National Anthem. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Students from Ferriday Lower Elementary School lead the opening ceremonies parade. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Ibrahem Mohammed makes his first-place leap in the standing long jump. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Avery Forbess takes off toward the finish line during her heat of the 25-yard run. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Monterey athletes make their way to the finish line during the Special Olympics Day in 2019. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

VIDALIA — “V-L-E, V-L-E,” a group of 4 to 7 year olds chanted Thursday while standing in the middle of Vidalia High School’s football field.

The Vidalia Lower Elementary students were not the only ones who excitedly ran, jumped, cheered and even danced out on the field.

Approximately 170 students from pre-kindergarten through high school from each of 10 schools in Concordia Parish were represented during the Third Annual Special Olympics Day, Thursday, including Ferriday Lower and Upper elementary schools, Ferriday Junior High and Ferriday High schools, Monterey High School, Vidalia Lower and Upper elementary schools, Vidalia Junior High and Vidalia High schools and the Concordia Parish Academy of Math Science and Technology.

Even students confined to wheelchairs were still exemplified as athletes in the one place where no one is average and everyone feels awesome, said Mary Huhn, the Special Education Supervisor for the parish.

“Our students should be recognized as everyone else is in athletic sports, and cheered on for their physical and mental abilities,” Huhn said. “They have so much talent that some people do not even realize.”

Students were presented with gold, silver and bronze medals for various athletic events in which they competed.

“I’ve got two,” said Grayson Richard, as he held up his silver and bronze medal he had won for balancing a tennis ball and dashing 25 yards across the field.

His friend Matthew Parker said he was also excited to be a winner of two gold medals for winning first place in the long jump and a 25-yard run.

“I’m super, double, 100-percent excited,” Parker said.

The students were cheered on by their schools’ cheerleaders as they stood on top of a decorated raised platform to earn their prizes, just as one would during the Olympic games while the Vidalia High School band played.

Students were also cheered on from the stands by several special guests, including Vidalia Police Chief Joey Merrill, Concordia Parish Sheriff Kenneth Hedrick and Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft, to name a few.

Each student also received a T-shirt designed by the first-place winner of a T-shirt design contest, Concordia Parish Academy seventh-grader Sienna Ewing.

The day’s activities were made possible by various sponsorships from local businesses as well as a team of organizers and willful participation from each of the administrators and students from the 11 schools that were represented during the games, Huhn said.

“These people worked really hard … the principals and the transportation department for getting the students here or the Vidalia High School cafeteria for preparing the food … it’s definitely a community effort.”

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