Members of Special Olympics Olds & District, the Olds College Broncos, Olds firefighters and Olds RCMP played a kind of exhibition game on April 25 at the Frank Grisdale Hall gym on the Olds College campus.
The game was a finale for the season, which ran from Jan. 24 to April 25.
During the season, Special Olympics athletes were coached by members of the Olds Broncos: Mason Logan, Cale Scotton, Landon Parrington and Rich Webb. Broncos men's basketball team head coach Mike Stevens helped coordinate their involvement.
"(He) was really instrumental in helping us make this work," says Mike Rooks of Special Olympics. "Olds College has been a great team member with us for four straight years now, with involvement from both the women's and men's teams.
"The Broncos did an amazing job connecting with our athletes for the duration of the basketball program," Rooks adds. "They really did focus on good basic skills but also on making it fun and (making sure) that all athletes were fully involved."
On hand for the occasion were lots of extended family and others connected with Special Olympics, along with several members of the Olds Emergency Services who did not play but came out to watch and cheer.
"We played as a team against them for the first half and then for the second half we mingled the teams so that they got to play alongside each other," Rooks says.
"They all had a blast and our Special Olympics players really upped their game and made some amazing baskets.
"The mascots from the fire department and the RCMP actually came off the sidelines and got into the game as well for as long as they could stand the heat of being in costume."
