YHS hosts 21st Special Olympics at Bulldog Stadium

  • The lighting of the torch during the 2024 DeWitt Lavaca Special Olympics opening ceremony on March 22. Pictured in the front center is student Macy Svec. Pictured in the back row from left to right are Wesley Bordovsky with the Yoakum Fire Department and Mason Galzan with the Yoakum Police Department. Staff photo.
    The lighting of the torch during the 2024 DeWitt Lavaca Special Olympics opening ceremony on March 22. Pictured in the front center is student Macy Svec. Pictured in the back row from left to right are Wesley Bordovsky with the Yoakum Fire Department and Mason Galzan with the Yoakum Police Department. Staff photo.
  • Pastor Elvis Whaley from Austin Street Baptist Church gave the invocation. Students from Cuero, Gonzales, the DeWittLavaca Special Education Co-operative Team: Sweet Home, Moulton, Yoakum, Yorktown, Hallettsville, and Shiner. Pictured above are members of the Yoakum Police Department, Yoakum Fire Department, and Department of Public Safety from Cuero attending the opening ceremonies. 83 athletes competed in the event. Contributed photo.
    Pastor Elvis Whaley from Austin Street Baptist Church gave the invocation. Students from Cuero, Gonzales, the DeWittLavaca Special Education Co-operative Team: Sweet Home, Moulton, Yoakum, Yorktown, Hallettsville, and Shiner. Pictured above are members of the Yoakum Police Department, Yoakum Fire Department, and Department of Public Safety from Cuero attending the opening ceremonies. 83 athletes competed in the event. Contributed photo.

    Students from more than a dozen districts gathered at the Yoakum Bulldog Stadium for the first DeWittLavaca Special Olympics Spring Meet on March 22.

    Friday’s event started with an opening ceremony that welcomed students from DeWitt, Lavaca, and Gonzales counties students. The Yoakum High School (YHS) Bulldog Band played instruments while students walked the track and waved at the audience in the bleachers. Ashlynn East, Tyasia Williams, Velma Olyquin all from Yoakum as well as Brody Henneke from Hallettsville ran the first lap.

    Students participated in several contests, including relays, wheelchair races, sprints, javelin throw, shot put, etc.

    Students, volunteers, sponsors, and the audience in attendance all seemed to share feelings of gratitude to see the event return for another year.

    “(Hosting this event) means the world to us. We are just so glad we’are able to do it,” said Yoakum ISD Superintendent Tom Kelley. “The excitement and enthusiasm of getting these kids together (to perform) in this track meet today is awesome. It is very uplifting to everybody involved in it.”