About 77 special education students from eight schools from Bradford and Innisfil participated in the event organized by a local teach in partnership with the town and Special Olympics Ontario Students shoot some hoops during the second-annual Special Olympics Sports Festival at the BWG Leisure Centre in Bradford on April 25. 1 / 1 Students shoot some hoops during the second-annual Special Olympics Sports Festival at the BWG Leisure Centre in Bradford on April 25. Advertisement A sea of smiles washed over Bradford on Friday as various school communities came together and offered an opportunity for some exceptional young people to demonstrate their skills. About 77 students with developmental disabilities in grades 1 to 8 from eight local schools tried their hands at a variety of sports at the second-annual Special Olympics Sports Festival at the BWG Leisure Centre on April 25. After an opening ceremony including comments from Mayor James Leduc, student groups rotated roughly every 10 minutes between cornhole, curling, basketball, bowling, bocce ball, soccer, mini golf and even dance. “To watch it come to fruition is just amazing,” said Stephanie Vanderkooy, special education resource teacher at Fieldcrest Elementary School and organizer for the event. While she explained supporting and advocating for students in special education to be included and successful in the school community is always the goal, Vanderkooy also understands that some school-wide events just aren’t safe for those students. That's why she wanted to create an annual event that celebrates “exceptional students” in a safe, inclusive and accessible location. “Watching families and peers cheer on these students reminds us how important it is to feel valued and supported,” she said. “You just have to spend a moment at the Olympics to experience the level of excitement and sheer joy at an event that celebrates abilities of all kinds.” After successfully launching the event for the first time last year in partnership with Special Olympics Ontario and Bradford District High School (BDHS), Vanderkooy also worked with the town to expand this year’s event and invite students from schools in both Bradford and neighbouring Innisfil. That included Fieldcrest Elementary School, W.H. Day Elementary School, Chris Hadfield Public School, Honourable Earl Rowe Public School, Innisfil Central Public School and Goodfellow Public School. Ryan Colpitts, program developer with Special Olympics Ontario, said he was “super pumped” for the organization to return and have so many people participate in the event. “I never dreamed that in less than a year, we would have doubled the size, found a venue and had so much support from the community to do this,” Vanderkooy said If all goes well, she’s hoping to expand to even more schools next year and possibly partner with the Simcoe Muskoka District Catholic School Board as well. “We have kiddos all across our county who need these opportunities,” she said. Students from BDHS volunteered to help run the event and local businesses also showed their support Friday with Addictive Designs donating and handing out T-shirts to all of the students, and the local Tim Hortons providing plenty of Smile Cookies. That matched the message of community spirit the mayor shared in his opening remarks in which he called it “wonderful” to see so many students enjoying “a meaningful and inspiring event,” with a “welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.” “It’s more than just a day of activity — it’s a day that fosters confidence, connection and joy,” he said.