For the first time since before the pandemic, hundreds of smiling faces from Scioto County Developmental Disabilities returned to Tracy Park in Portsmouth on Sept. 15 to take part in the Walk-a-Thon and raise money for Scioto County Special Olympics. With the help of volunteers, the fundraiser collected a new record amount of $4,781.58.
Donations were collected through a combined effort of t-shirt sales and pledged donations for student and adult walkers. Officers from the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) also volunteered to help grill and serve food at the event, and even helped collect donations from motorists nearby. Volunteers from SOCF broke into two teams, red and blue, to see who could collect the most money. The blue team collected $657.91, and the red team collected $452.92.
This was truly a community-supported event with many partners. A DJ provided music and announcements, Portsmouth West High School sent its choir to sing the Star-Spangled Banner, and Collins Career Center sent a class of LPNs to assist walkers.
In the adult group, the top three pledged donations were collected by John Geyer (third place), Angela Frey (second place), and Tommy Kinder (first place). In the student group, the top three pledged donations were collected by Robbie Scalf (third place), Abby Strickland (second place), and Kulia Iokia (first place).
The Scioto County Special Olympics includes events such as volleyball and basketball. In the spring there are also events for track and field and golf.
“The money raised by the Walk-a-Thon helps pay for the competitors’ uniforms, it helps fund transportation, it helps fund meals. All the typical things that any team fundraiser would use the money for,” said SCDD Outreach Coordinator Theresa Rowland.
If you would like to donate to the Scioto County Special Olympics, you can mail a check made out to Scioto County Special Olympics to the Scioto County Board of DD, ATTN: LeAnn Shultz, 2619 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662. For more information about the Scioto County Special Olympics, follow them on Facebook @SciotoSpecialOlympics.
For more information about the programs and services at the Scioto County Developmental Disabilities, call 740-353-0636 or visit online at www.sciotodd.org, and like and follow them on Facebook.