That’s what 18 determined athletes representing Prescott have been doing since last September. Their excitement will reach a crescendo Saturday morning, Feb. 14, on the Embry-Riddle (ERAU) campus at the Mountain Area Special Olympics Basketball Tournament.
“This is a very big day for them,” says Vickie Fox-Weeks, head of the Prescott Special Olympics delegation that has organized the event.
A total of 125 athletes and coaches representing teams from Prescott, Chino Valley, Payson, and Verde Valley will participate in the daylong activities that begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Parade of Athletes led by the ERAU mascot Ernie the Eagle and end with a dance at the Grace Sparkes Activity Center (Armory). That’s where the Prescott team has been practicing all these months, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation department, which is also arranging the dance through its Special Needs Activity Program (SNAP), coordinated by Sherri Gates.