About 180 students in Grades K-12 from across the Cherry Hill School District gathered at the Jonas Morris Stadium at Cherry Hill West on Friday, May 18, for the S.T.A.R. Games (Specially Talented Athletes Recognized), an event that celebrated the talents of students with special needs and provided them with the opportunity to compete at a high level.
Participants competed in track and field events, as well as team games such as wiffle ball and beach volleyball. A special guest at the awards ceremony was Special Olympian Kurt Schmidt, a Pennsauken native and winner of two gold medals in 2011 at the Special Olympics Summer World Games in Athens, Greece.
The games were organized by a committee of teachers and staff led by West Physical Education teachers Hamisi Tarrant and Shelby Smith. More than 30 students from Cherry Hill West volunteered to help the day run smoothly. Congratulations to all of the participating students whose enthusiasm made the day extra special for everyone involved. The STAR Games planning committee hopes to make this an annual district event.
