The Illinois Area 13 Special Olympics will take place at LZHS this Sunday, May 5. The athletes will be participating in events like running and throwing a softball.

“[My experiences in volunteering for the Special Olympics] have always been amazing,” Drew Kowalski, junior, said. “Seeing all of the athletes so happy while competing always puts a smile on my face.”

This year will be Kowalski’s third time volunteering to help out with the Special Olympics. Kowalski is a member of the Special Needs Athletic Program (SNAP). This year, the athlete he has been training is Jeffrey Murphy.

Even if students are not able to volunteer at the Special Olympics, they can still do their part to support the athletes competing.

“Students can sign a pledge that says they won’t say the r-word in any circumstances,” Kowalski said. “I think people should pledge to this because the r-word is a sign of ignorance and rudeness.”

Students can sign a banner during their lunch period today to pledge to not say the r-word in order to support all special needs students.