White Pines students in the DARE Program returned home with two silver medals after putting up stunning performances in soccer and bocce at the Special Olympics School Championships in Chatham-Kent, Ont. last month.“It’s about supporting each other,” said Life Skills department head and program coordinator Scott MacDonald. “You watch these students out on the field. They’re not only supporting each other, but each other’s teams as well. It’s such a beautiful thing to be a part of.
Many of them have job placements around town, including at familiar locations like the Bushplane Museum, Davey Home, Station Mall, Team Essentials, Community Living Algoma, Sault Area Hospital, John Rhodes, and GFL. They competed in a pair of northern Ontario qualifiers in soccer and bocce where both teams from the east-end high school earned the right to go to Chatham-Kent for the Games.“We took the Soo Greyhounds bus,” MacDonald said. “They felt like royalty being able to ride in it. They had so much fun on the way there; singing karaoke, playing games.”
She has been blown away by the opportunities she’s gotten up north compared to her time living in southern Ontario. “The trip down was so much fun,” she said. “It was nice both teams brought something back from the same place. It felt really good.”On the soccer front, MacDonald witnessed one of the most outstanding displays of sportsmanship from a White Pines player during a tight overtime in the gold medal game.
“It was a really good experience on the field,” student Colin Burgan added. “We were really happy with the silver.”Moss was actually a recipient of the 12 Days of Christmas Random Acts of Kindness for having a positive impact on students. She was surprised with gifts by Village Media's Community Cares Team in front of an auditorium full of students in December 2022.