Medina County high schools, middle schools and elementary schools all attended the Special Olympics event at Cloverleaf High School, for the special needs students. The Special Olympics took place on May 7, 2026.

“The kids get so excited about a week or two before we really hype it up in the classroom,” said Tina Vukovic, an aid for the students that attended the Special Olympics. “We talk about the events, they practice running in gym, they get so excited because it’s the one time, one of the times they can really shine.” 

At the event there were nine different school districts including Cloverleaf, Buckeye, Medina, MCCC, Wadsworth, Windfall, Black River, Brunswick and Highland.

There were several events that the kids competed in during the Special Olympics, including a race, a parade and more. 

“They mainly competed in a 50 and 100 meter race. They also do softball throwing. They do kickball,” said Vukovic. “The biggest event that they participated in was the race.”

This event was the most popular among the kids.

“The running was my favorite part,” said Patrick Ely, a freshman at Wadsworth High School that attended the Special Olympics for the first time.

There were also other favorite events the athletes had.

“The kick and the running were my favorites,” said Zac Howell, a junior that attended the Special Olympics.

At the event, there were free snow cones provided and an area where you could buy different foods and drinks including pizza, nachos, hotdogs and more. There was also a truck where you could buy cookies, ice cream, and coffee.