Special Olympics Inspiration: Spartan Sparkles
Young people with special needs are often looked at differently. Too often, people see what they cannot do. They don’t always get to play sports or participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular among children and teens in Iowa City; however, as recently as last summer, their community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading. So last July, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders launched their own special needs cheerleading squad, the Spartan Sparkles, which has a squad of over ten girls 8 to 14-years-old with disabilities like Down Syndrome and Autism.
They’re working to help other schools start similar teams and making sure that the Spartan Sparkles squad is staffed by cheerleader volunteers to help the Sparkles have fun and learn new skills. The Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders practice twice a week with the Sparkles and their program has been a huge success!
Right now, the two squads are teaming up to make a documentary called “Road to the Special Olympics.”
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Charity:Water
My friend devoted her entire 16th birthday to helping to build a well in Africa so people there could start drinking clean, healthy water. ... Read More
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