Moore FFA Shares Spotlight with Special Olympians

This February saw the welcome return of the popular Special Olympics Livestock show, which had been cancelled due to pandemic concerns over the past two years. The show pairs members of Moore’s FFA chapter with Special Olympians, allowing those students to experience handling farm animals. Moore’s Agriculture Education Advisor, Jessica Dunlap says it’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved.

“It used to be just our Moore High students, but we added Southmoore prior to COVID,” said Dunlap. “This year we were excited to add Westmoore students to the mix. It’s great to be super inclusive and have kids from all the schools participating.”

Dunlap says the FFA students were paired up with Special Olympians. They met once a week for a month prior to the stock show.

“We called them ‘buddies’ and they got to hang out together each week, getting to know each other and their animals,” said Dunlap.

Sophomore Maddison Wynd was one of the FFA students who had the chance to work with the Special Olympians. Wynd says it was a wonderful opportunity for her.

“The bond that these kids former with their animals was really important,” said Wynd. “It was amazing to me to see how much they cared for their animals and how much they remembered each time they came back.”

Of the many highlights working with the Special Olympians, Wynd said it was easy to pick out her favorites.

“I saw my buddy in the hall the other day and they came running over to me and gave me a hug,” said Wynd. “That and seeing how excited they were when they got their ribbons and poster. Those were the best parts.”

Dunlap added that for many of the Special Olympians, participating in the livestock show was a way of overcoming some fears they might have.

“There were parents of three different kids that talked about their child’s fear of animals,” said Dunlap. “It was impressive to see these kids venture outside their comfort zones with their buddies and end up building that bond with their animals. That bond was apparent the night of the livestock show and was great to see on display.”

47 kids participated in this year’s livestock show, the biggest in program history. Dunlap encourages everyone in the community to support the FFA and the Special Olympics Livestock Show.

“You can donate to the FFA or just come and eat at the potato dinner we have prior to the show each year,” said Dunlap. “We’re committed to not charging kids to participate, so everything helps.”

(See more photos from this event in our Parting Shots, on page 48.)