Special Olympics Games Return, City Staff Participates

Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

The City of Dalton is proud to be a part of the Special Olympics. On Wednesday morning, Special Olympics athletes from Dalton Public Schools and Whitfield County Schools took the field together at Coahulla Creek High School and competed in the first county-wide Special Olympics Track and Field games since 2019 after missing two years due to the pandemic.

The event was organized in part by Dalton Parks and Rec program coordinator Lisa Hughey and city staff was proud to take part in the opening ceremonies. Mayor David Pennington and Parks and Rec director Caitlin Sharpe welcomed the athletes before the Dalton Fire Department's honor guard presented the colors for the singing of the national anthem.

At right: Members of the DFD honor guard present the colors during Wednesday's opening ceremonies

Then, as has become tradition at the event, officers from the Dalton Police Department and firefighters from Dalton Fire joined deputies from the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office in running the torch relay around the track with Special Olympics athletes, handing the flame off to Sheriff Scott Chitwood to light the cauldron and open the games.

The City of Dalton congratulates each Special Olympian for their competitive spirit and performance today. We thank all of the sponsors and volunteers who worked to make today possible.

Below: Mayor David Pennington and Parks and Recreation director Caitlin Sharpe welcome athletes and fans to the Special Olympics Track and Field games; DPD officers Lt. Ricky Long, Officer Grant Mantooth, Assistant Chief Chris Crossen, Captain Shaun Scott, and Captain Jamie Johnson pose together after the opening ceremonies; Lt. Long and Deputy Maria Hayes escort a Special Olympic athlete with the torch