West Columbia, SC 12/11/2024 - Brookland-Cayce High School’s first Special Olympics Cornhole Tournament drew 80 teams from schools around the Midlands for competition and fellowship.
The event, held earlier this month, was hosted by the Lexington Two high school’s Bearcat Buddies, an organization that pairs students with and without disabilities with a goal of building relationships and promoting an inclusive school environment. Brookland-Cayce High School is a Unified Champion School.
“Events like this are important for many reasons – connecting with other inclusive schools, providing students with a safe environment to work on social goals, and most importantly promoting inclusion,” said Haley Williamson, a Brookland-Cayce High School special education teacher who coordinated the Cornhole Tournament at the school.
In addition to participating in the tournament, Williamson’s own students helped with event decorations and game setup and supplies, while others had the opportunity to speak during the opening ceremony. A number of volunteers from the school also supported the event, among them Brookland-Cayce’s baseball team and Coach Matt Kline, who took scores for the games; Student Council members, who helped with registration and snacks; Honors Choir members, who sang the National Anthem; and JROTC cadets, who managed parking and presented the colors for the opening ceremony.
The Area 7 schools with teams participating in the tournament included AC Flora High School, Batesburg-Leesville Middle and High Schools, Beechwood Middle School, Horse Creek Academy, Meadow Glen Middle School, Sandhills Middle School, and White Knoll Middle School.
Williamson said she hopes it’s the first of many tournaments to come.
“This meant so much,” Williamson said. “Events like this inspired me to become a special education teacher when I was in high school. For my students, they loved being able to hang out with their friends (Buddies) and compete with them.
“Being able to facilitate an environment that fosters friendships and hopefully inspires other future special education teachers makes my heart full,” she added.
PHOTO CAPTION: Participants compete in the Special Olympics Cornhole Tournament, which drew 80 teams for the Dec. 6 event hosted by Brookland-Cayce High School.
