LIHU‘E — The smiles and hugs were genuine as a young athlete from the Kaua‘i Thunderbolts rushed Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and gave him a big hug, Saturday at Vidinha Stadium. Another poked an exploratory finger while Carvalho read
LIHU‘E — The smiles and hugs were genuine as a young athlete from the Kaua‘i Thunderbolts rushed Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and gave him a big hug, Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
Another poked an exploratory finger while Carvalho read the Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics Track and Field Day proclamation.
Jennifer Arashiro of the Kaua‘i Special Olympics Management Team had told members of the East Kaua‘i Lions Club Thursday night of the “charge” athletes get when people come out to cheer them on during the annual event.
“They cheer you on when you play,” Kapa‘a football coach Keli‘i Morgado had said many years ago in explaining why his football players needed to participate. “Now, it’s your turn to cheer them on.”
The Kaua‘i High School baseball team, heading to a double-header game, stopped its preparations and lined the fence outside its practice area to cheer and applaud the group of torch bearers.
Several hundred volunteers, including football players from the public high schools, band, choir, track and field teams, and service organizations joined the Special Olympics Management Team and a corps of volunteers from the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa in cheering, helping and encouraging the Kaua‘i Special Olympics athletes in their moments of glory.
Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry, completing the Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run, assisted Special Olympics athlete Pualani Ariola of the Kaua‘i Storm in lighting the “Flame of Hope” which burned bright through the games.
Carvalho said the First Hawaiian Bank Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Hawai‘i is the only torch run program in the world to be named after a fallen officer.
The event helps raise funds for and awareness of the Special Olympics program which Barboza supported and committed his time and talents as a coach before he was taken.
Craig DeCosta, serving as the host for the day, said the Kaua‘i Area of Hawai‘i Special Olympics serves 98 athletes with the core volunteers supporting track and field events, a bowling tournament and the “Cops on Top” fundraiser which supports training opportunities for the athletes.
More recently, the Kaua‘i Special Olympics hosted its first-ever Swim-a-thon at the YMCA of Kaua‘i pool as both a fundraising effort as well as preparing its swimmers for a meet on Maui.
Special Olympics Hawai‘i serves more than 2,100 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and offers training and competition in basketball, bocce, bowling, power lifting, soccer, softball, speed skating, swimming and track and field.
Arashiro, in her thanks to the EK Lions for their contribution, said the Hawai‘i Special Olympics depends on contributions from the community to enable it to continue and provide the training it does for its athletes and their families — free of charge.
The mission of Special Olympics Hawai‘i is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and continued opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and personal fulfillment associated with sports training, competition and life.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
