By Mary O’KEEFE

On April 26, more than 100 athletes competed in the Special Olympics at Crescenta Valley High School.

This year was the first time Montrose Church sponsored the event. For years it was under the supervision of CV CAN (Crescenta Valley is Committed to Athletic Needs) with Montrose Church as their partner.

Kim Villa, chair for the event from Montrose Church, said becoming the main sponsor was a natural step. Over the years, the church’s congregation had become a strong volunteer force taking on more and more responsibility for the event.

“The games this year exceeded our expectations,” Villa said. “We keep building on what we learn from the year before, and from registration to events to food everything ran very smoothly.”

The event is unique due in part to the volunteers who act as a “buddy” for the athletes, making sure their needs are taken care of. There is at least one volunteer paired per athlete.

“We are always very pleased with the efforts of the volunteers but the biggest measure is when the parent of an athlete or the coach of a delegation remarks on the attentiveness of a buddy or other volunteer,” Villa said.

  Leonard Coutin, Mary Okeefe