Special Olympics basketball tips off

URIAH A. KISER / Stafford County Sun
Published: March 12, 2008

The actual games, which begin Saturday at 9 a.m., will be played at seven county public schools, including Brooke Point, North Stafford and Mountain View high schools.

Athletes are expected to travel from as far away as Virginia Beach and southwest Virginia to compete in the statewide competition.

"This is a chance for these athletes to shine at more than just a local or regional level. It's a chance for them to interact with other athletes beyond the small pool of athletes from where they might live," said Holly Claytor, director of public relations with Special Olympics Virginia.

Each athlete competing in the competition has won a similar basketball contest in their hometown, and has earned the chance to demonstrate their skills here in Stafford, according to Claytor.

Claytor said this event is as much about the athletes as it is about the community, and hopes that many local residents will attend the games not only as spectators, but also as "fans in the stands."

A record number of 75 games will be played Saturday, and nearly 100 athletes will compete in the specialized basketball skills competitions.

The event will be sponsored Geico, and will be presented by Stafford County Schools.

Special Olympics is a year-round charity that serves 1.4 million people with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries worldwide. The Special Olympics Virginia Chapter holds more than 2,400 sporting events in the Commonwealth each year, according to its Web site.

For more information and game times, visit the Web site,

specialolympicsva.org.

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