Mishawaka High School hosts Special Olympics Unified Champions Day

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Mishawka High School will be host to the annual Special Olympics Unified Champions Day on Tuesday.

The event will take place at Steele Stadium on the Mishawaka High School campus, and features general and special education students working together in track and field competitions.

Run by the Unified Champion Schools program, the goal of this event is to promote social inclusion for athletes with disabilities. Unified Champion Schools partners with different education platforms throughout the state, and has helped to gather 99 athletes from seven different elementary schools, as well as from John Young Middle School to participate.

Special Olympics Indiana has partnered with Mishawaka students grades K-12 as well as on-campus Resource Officers and volunteers to coordinate the event.

Director of Exceptional Learners, Barbara Michalos, believes that the program brings meaningful change, and has created a more inclusive classroom environment.

“This day is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of our staff and students to model an inclusive mindset. It reminds us of the great work we have done, and the work that still needs to be done to expand the Inclusion Revolution. We choose to include in school city of Mishawaka,” said Michalos.

Champions Day will begin at 9:15 a.m. with a torch run and a brief parade.