JOHN DAY The annual Special Olympics basketball game, held March 7 at Grant Union High School, put local law enforcement officers to the test.

The game pitted Special Olympians against a team made up of volunteers from the Grant County District Attorneys Office, Grant County Sheriffs Office, Oregon State Police, and the John Day Police Department.

It was fun everyone made a basket, and there was a lot of camaraderie, said Kim Joslin, Special Olympics coordinator.

We smoked em, said Special Olympic team member Jay Colson, who raised $2,000 in sponsorships.

All proceeds from the event support the team with uniforms and travel expenses.

The team and volunteers also participated in Minute-to-Win-It, where the players tried to score to be winners in a dessert raffle.

Other volunteers in the event included Kathy Davila, Diane Hartwick and many local businesses and individuals.

The event was an opportunity to increase awareness and educate communities about the acceptance and inclusion for all people.

The team traveled to Beaverton on Sunday, March 17, to compete in the Special Olympics district basketball tournament.

Basketball is one of the most viewed sports at Special Olympics. Players take it up at all ages and at all abilities, from young players learning to handle the ball and keep it under control while dribbling to older, more experienced players who have the moves and know the strategies to play challenging ball.

The Special Olympics movement reaches far beyond Grant County and has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than four million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs.