Special Olympics Field Trip

          On February 6th, three of Millburn Middle School’s peer leader groups went to the New Jersey Special Olympics to support the players that were competing in their respective winter sports. CORE 7 visited the Skylands Arena for speed skating, and BOLT and SPORT went to Mountain Creek Resort to watch the skiing and snowshoeing events. MMS student Sam even competed and won three medals in the snowshoeing competition! 

The New Jersey Special Olympics is a non-profit organization that is based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and currently has over 26,000 athletes across the state. It was originally founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the mid-1900s and the organization provides sports training and competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities. They strive for diversity, inclusivity, and equity while offering 24 different seasonal sports and holding events throughout the year. 

During the field trip, Peer Leaders left school to watch the winter sport competitions at the Skylands Arena and Mountain Creek Resort. 7th grade P2P peer leader Audrey Kim says that her favorite part about the trip was cheering on the athletes, supporting the New Jersey Special Olympics, and creating a positive environment for everyone. She explained, “I really enjoyed taking a break from classes, spending a few hours watching the event with my friends and encouraging the competing athletes." Her fellow peer leaders also had an amazing time at the winter events and made many lasting memories.

Overall, this trip encouraged students to support a wide variety of athletes, and it also gave students a sense of community service. Taking time out of their day, the students showed tremendous support for the athletes and for the Special Olympics community as a whole. While giving a break to students from their often stressful school day, the field trip presented the opportunity to learn more about the NJ Special Olympics, spend time with friends, and enjoy watching the sports together.