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The Lee County Special Olympics is holding its 28th annual track meet April 16 on the Opelika High School’s track and field at 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. for county residents with special needs

This event will determine which athletes from Lee County will go on to compete in the state Special Olympics track meet May 15-17 at Troy University.

Alison Hall has been the director of the Lee County Special Olympics for the past six years. She also works as the community programs director for the city of Auburn. Hall was working on her master’s degree at Auburn University when she first became involved with the Special Olympics.

The upcoming track meet will have participants competing in many of the same events found in a standard track meet. Participants do not compete in pole vaulting or the javelin, and there are also wheelchair events for the wheelchair assisted.

Other events like bowling, gymnastics and golf are also included in the Special Olympics, but they are not part of the track meet.

Athletes that compete at this meet can participate in as many events as they wish.

Those who place first have the opportunity to go to the state track meet. Competitors are only allowed to compete in one event at the state Special Olympics. About 75 percent of the state has these competitions. Events at both the county and state level are divided into different divisions based on age, sex and their average scores from practice.

Competitors must be at least 8 years old. Hall said that their oldest athlete is 67. She said that the Special Olympics is a great opportunity, especially for older participants that enjoy having the opportunity to remain physically and socially active.

Hall said that many residents of Lee County would be surprised to learn the amount of people with special needs in the county. At the meet alone, there will be between 150 to 175 athletes. There are plenty of opportunities for the community to become involved with these citizens.

The Thursday event is open to the public. The Special Olympics is always accepting volunteers for coaching and working the events. Many of the volunteers come from the parents of the competitors, college students and others with track and field experience.

The Special Olympics has partnered with several other organizations to complete the three-hour event. Apart from using Opelika High School’s track, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Auburn University helps work the event, and the Kiwanis Club and Auburn Civitan club help with funding.

Because school-age children compete in the Special Olympics, they attempt to have the meet finished in three hours.

“Our goal is to have them back at school by three,” the director said.

Hall said that the event is both exciting and heartwarming as she recalled a story from her first year as director.

There was a group of athletes running the 100 meter dash. As the competitors neared the finish line, one of the competitors fell. All of the other runners stopped and went back to check on him. In the end, they all crossed the finish line together.

“It really brought home the idea that there is something more than competition,” she said. “It shows that these people are like the rest of us.”

The director wanted to invite the community to bring a lawn chair and come out to watch the event.

“You get wrapped up in the excitement,” Hall said.