Richmond County Public Schools hosted its 5th Annual Feet Meet, a Special Olympics event that paired student volunteers with students with special needs for a day of athletic competition.

The event, held on the school track, featured rotating stations where student athletes participated in a variety of games and challenges designed to promote teamwork, confidence, and fun.

The Feet Meet is part of a regional partnership with the Special Olympics and began eight years ago when a new regional director approached Richmond County Public Schools about hosting an event. After several successful years, then a pause during COVID, it has grown into an annual community event, explained RCPS teacher Ashley Goodwyn, who organizes the Feet Meet.

This year’s event brought together more than 250 student athletes and over 80 student volunteers, who helped run the games, assist participants, and set up the event. Students from both Richmond County Public Schools and the Northern Neck Regional Special Education Program, which serves Richmond and Lancaster counties, took part.

A Community Effort Goodwyn explained that the Feet Meet has become a true community collaboration. Members of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Services block off traffic so the cross country team can run the torch from the School Board Office to the track. This year, an officer also ran with the students. During the event, the county’s first responders remain present in case there are injuries and to show their support.

Families come out in large numbers, filling the bleachers and lining the track to support the athletes. The Richmond County Public Library attended and donated books to participants, and Delegate Hilary Pugh Kent likes to be there to welcome the students and stay for the fun, said Goodwyn.

Special Olympics provided T shirts for athletes, teachers, and volunteers, and Special Olympics representative Tyler Martin brings the equipment for each game station. Lunch for all the guests is prepared by the school cafeteria under the direction of Jason Houck.

Richmond County Superintendent Dr. Trey Davis praised the event and the many hands that made it possible. He thanked the Sheriff’s Office, EMS, and the community for their support, and recognized Goodwyn for her leadership in organizing another successful Feet Meet.

“It’s one of the many things that we do well in Richmond County,” Davis said.