Franklin, MA - Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Principal Kimberly Taylor are proud to share that the F.X. O’Regan Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) hosted its first-ever Special Olympics Unified Young Athletes Game Day on Friday, June 6.

The event celebrated the remarkable efforts and achievements of Franklin’s youngest Unified athletes — preschool students who have been practicing teamwork and motor skill development throughout the spring as part of the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program.

Under the guidance of ECDC Physical Therapist Jodi Klein and a dedicated team of staff coaches, these young students learned important physical and social-emotional skills while embracing the core values of inclusion and support.

We had a wonderful group of athletes and coaches for our inaugural year of Young Athletes,” said Klein. “I think Game Day represented a wide array of the skills we worked on for several months, including balance, jumping, eye-hand coordination, teamwork and sportsmanship. It is a privilege to be able to do this work with our littlest athletes and get them started with healthy habits in a positive, inclusive environment.”

The Game Day event featured a full slate of festivities, beginning with opening ceremonies, a flag salute and a proud recitation of the Special Olympics Athlete Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”