Special Olympics Buncombe County announced on Apr. 28 that more than 600 local athletes will participate in the upcoming Spring Games, with events scheduled for May 7 at T.C. Roberson High School and May 21 at A.C. Reynolds High School. The opening ceremonies for both days will begin at 9:30 a.m.
The Spring Games are organized by Special Olympics Buncombe County and Buncombe County Parks & Recreation, working in partnership with local public schools and Asheville Parks and Recreation. Chick-fil-A is this year’s Title Sponsor, providing lunch to all participants and volunteers, totaling about 2,100 meals.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run will precede the competitions to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. The Torch Run on May 7 starts at the Chick-fil-A on Hendersonville Road in Asheville, while the run on May 21 begins at Smokey and the Pig in Fairview. Officers from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Asheville Police Department, and State Bureau of Investigation will take part.
Spectators attending events at T.C. Roberson High School are advised to enter Ensley Stadium via Springside Road; those attending A.C. Reynolds High School should follow parking signs on Rocket Drive.
In addition to these annual games, Special Olympics athletes in Buncombe County train year-round in eleven sports such as bocce, swimming, basketball, golf, cheerleading, soccer—including a new Unified soccer team—bowling, gymnastics, skiing, and snowboarding.
Academic readiness among students in Buncombe County is also being tracked through ACT scores: Of senior students taking the science portion of the ACT during the 2022-23 school year in county districts, about 28.5% were considered ready for college. For juniors taking science during that period,30.1% were considered ready. In reading proficiency,41.1% of seniorsand43.2% of juniorsmet college readiness benchmarks.25.6% of seniorsand32.7% of juniorsdemonstrated college readiness in math according to state education data.
