“GREENVILLE – The 45th annual local Special Olympics hosted Special Olympic athletes Friday at Greenville City Schools’ Jennings Center Track and Field Complex under the direction of Cindy Rose, serving as the Director of Darke County Special Olympics since 2001.
The event brings together Darke County Superintendents, Principals, and teachers for a family reunion-type atmosphere each year.
“I am delighted that the Supply Chain Management group at the high school has taken over so many of the jobs, and they even arrange for the awards presenters,” said longtime volunteer Eileen Litchfield. “Cindy Rose, as a volunteer coordinator in this program, where many other programs around the state pay coordinators, she has done this for over 20 years as a volunteer and is phenomenal. It continues to be improved and expedited. The kids love it; it is a positive day for everyone.”
The Greenville Senior High School Supply Chain Management Class made a $18,000 donation to Special Olympics and has reached the $108,000 donation mark over 11 years.
“I’m speechless; every year they set that goal, and that is our funding,” said Rose. “We have people who have supported us, organizations, non-profits, businesses, and now they support A Night in Hollywood, so they are still donating, they are just doing it through that avenue.”
“This is the 45th because of 2020 (COVID) being cancelled,” Rose, a 30-year volunteer, continued. “People who have been here a couple of decades are still coming, and are the reason Darke County’s Special Olympics is the way that it is. All these high school kids that come out, all the Superintendents that support this. Originally, it was done on Saturday. Now we are 20 years doing it on a Friday, so the superintendents are on board, you will see many of them out here.”
Now pushing 20 years as a volunteer, Superintendent Darke County ESC Jim Atchley was once again spending the day helping with the event.
“We have great kids in Darke County,” said Atchley. “All the student helpers out here assisting, when you look around, it takes a lot of people to make this go off as well as it does. We are thankful for the job Cindy does for Darke County and all the helpers.”
Greenville City Schools Superintendent Doug Fries, a former varsity girls softball coach, was seen helping with the softball throw.
“We salute our Supply Chain Management,” Fries stated. “We have had three instructors over the past 13 years, and they kept that fundraiser going. It’s a pleasure to see the amount of money they are able to donate to help Darke County Special Olympics in this cause.”
“Our instructors in those programs have been outstanding and enthusiastic about raising that money,” added Fries. “The kids have done a good job of keeping the Night in Hollywood going, but they are also here today serving as volunteers and helping. We tend sometimes to hear about some negative things, but there are many positive things taking place in many directions, and this is a good example of it.”
“In Darke County, we honor all of the volunteers that make this happen,” Rose concluded. “There are many people over the past 48 years who have made this amazing Darke County Special Olympics what it is today.”
