NORTH SYRACUSE -- More than 600 athletes from across Onondaga County turned out at Cicero-North Syracuse High School for this year’s Special Olympics. For parents like Patty Clark, the attitude of the kids is what makes the Special Olympics so special.
"To me, it just means the world to me to see these kids out here doing it and I just love it. It's like anything goes and everyone wins. It touches my heart to see the kids," she says.
Maria Alberico, Regional Director of the Central New York chapter for the Special Olympics, says the event would not be possible without the hard work of volunteers and the attitude of the athletes who participate.
"They don't think about it as disabled. They think about it as I'm doing something to shine, to show that I can - not that I can't," she says.
John Rooney, a former coach and parent, says everyone can learn from the example set by the Special Olympians.
"They help each other out, they hug each other. You see off the track they are very close, and it is a terrific atmosphere," he says.
