The SRSS held their annual Unified Bocce Ball tournament on Thursday.
Teams from surrounding schools including Garden City, Niverville, and Grunthal joined the SRSS in competing against each other in the tournament.
Karleen Unger, the Physical Education teacher at the SRSS helps plan these events.
Unger says they work alongside Special Olympics to give those with disabilities a chance to participate and engage with other students.
“The kids get into teams of four. We have unified partners and students and athletes with intellectual disabilities coming together and participating on a team together. They play other teams from the area,” she says.
The tournament is a great opportunity for students with and without intellectual disabilities to bond and teach each other about themselves.
“This is an opportunity to play and to be a part of something big, to be a part of sports. It’s an opportunity for them to build friendships and have fun,” Unger says. “It’s an opportunity for many of our unified partners to be leaders in our school and leaders in our community.”
Unger explains that they also have a basketball tournament earlier in the year and the students love it.
Other than some great bocce ball, music was playing which had lots of the students dancing while cheering each other on.
“They are here to play bocce and have fun and build some community and friendships.”
-With files from Corny Rempel
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