McHenry Middle School expands Special Olympics program, will host district meet May 2

McHenry Middle School staff detailed steady growth in their Special Olympics program and said the district will hold a Special Olympics track meet for adjusted-learning students on May 2 at McHenry High School.

School officials and the program’s coaches said the program has added events, athletes and equipment since the district first joined Illinois Special Olympics in 2018, and that recent grant funding and local fundraising have covered travel and competition costs. "We practice once a week during the school day at MMS," said Shelley Grineham, who identified herself as a teacher and coach. "Our athletes don't pay for this. They don't pay for any of it because Special Olympics is based on all fundraising."

The program will host the McHenry D15 Special Olympics track meet on May 2, starting about 9:30–9:45 a.m. at the McHenry High School track. Coaches said eight athletes from McHenry Middle School will compete this year and several athletes will also attend regional and state meets: the Illinois Regional B Special Olympics track meet in Mount Prospect on May 10 and a soccer-skills event on May 18. Grineham described other sports the program runs or has added in recent years—bocce, basketball skills, snowshoe, bowling and soccer skills—and said the school uses a mix of grants and community fundraising to pay for equipment, lodging and registration when teams travel.

The program’s timeline in the presentation said district participation began in spring 2018 with track and field. Spring 2019 again sent athletes to Illinois Summer Games at Illinois State University; spring 2020–21 were paused by the pandemic. In 2022 the program added bocce and basketball skills, and in 2023 the program received an Illinois Special Olympics grant to buy equipment and expand sports offerings. Grineham said snowshoe was added in winter 2024 and that snowshoe will likely become a recognized Special Olympics event in coming years.

School staff identified internal supports: paras Christy Hagerpaksen and Jill Majerzyk and Kathy Cruz, the district physical therapist, who help run weekly practices. Coaches also described local fundraising that supports travel and lodging—examples cited were the Polar Plunge, law-enforcement runs and a May 16 Dunkin’ Donuts event—and said some partners provide lodging for multi-night state competitions. Grineham invited community members to attend practices and competitions and emphasized the program’s focus on participation, skill development and inclusion.

The board’s presentation combined program history, a season schedule and specifics about upcoming competitions and funding sources. The presentation noted the program’s goal of eventually practicing on an on-campus McHenry track and continuing to expand unified activities that pair peers with athletes for certain events.