Wiedmer: Special Olympics special to athletes and many others

Photo Credit: Dennis Wilkes, Orange Grove Center Photo Credit: Dennis Wilkes, Orange Grove Center

By Mark Wiedmer April 25, 2016 6 min read

Photo Gallery

Special Olympics special to athletes and many others

Troy Rogers, 28, seated, with Ragan Elliott, back, was an eager spectator during Saturday's Special Olympics at Red Bank High School. Red Bank has hosted the Lloyd Ray Smith Area 4 Games three of the past four years.

Mark Wiedmer

Haley Lockhart couldn’t sleep Friday night. Not a wink.

“She was up at 5 a.m.,” said her grandfather, Gary Patterson. “All she’s talked about for the past four weeks is Special Olympics. She’ll ask, ‘Where is it? When is it going to be here, PaPaw?’ She waits all year for this.”

The 48th annual Lloyd Ray Smith Area 4 Special Olympics were staged Saturday morning at Red Bank High School, much to the delight of Lockhart and 252 other athletes.

Like everyone who competes, the 11-year-old Lockhart won ribbons for her efforts, including a third-place finish in the 50-meter run. After three years of competing, her ribbon collection is sizable.

“I keep them in a safe place,” she said.