Special Olympics

The youth of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Bangor, Maine Stake have been volunteering at the Special Olympics at the University of Maine for years and years and years. When I was a teenager, we helped out at Special Olympics, when I was a leader in Young Women's 12 years ago, we volunteered at Special Olympics, and Zoe had her first volunteering experience yesterday. Zoe participated in the parade for the Olympians Friday night, which I personally have never experienced before. Zoe and other volunteers marched in the parade and threw candy to the Olympians and carried signs cheering the Olympians on and wishing them luck. Then the volunteers clapped and cheered the Olympians on as the Olympians entered the track, where they would participate in their events the next day. Patti (Zoe's YW leader said it was very touching to see the youth get closer and closer to the Olympians as they cheered them on and high fived them as the Olympians entered.

Yesterday, Zoe and the other volunteers took groups of Olympians to their events, cheered them on, brought them to the award ceremonies for their events, and brought the Olympians back to their tents. At one point, she helped retrieve softballs at the softball throw event. Zoe also helped put together lunches for the Olympians at the McDonald's tent. I'm proud of Zoe for being an active volunteer and for keeping busy the entire time she was there. Matt dropped her off at 8am and I picked her up at 2pm. She was quite exhausted, but she felt good. :-)