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BELLEVILLE NATIVES MOVE ON IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Belleville Times - 6/15/2017

Two Belleville High School students, who medaled at a Special Olympics track meet in Bloomfield last month, have advanced to the next stage of the competition: the Summer Games held at the College of New Jersey this past weekend.

The students, freshmen Mark Castro and Jose Rodriguez-Vidal, were honored during the May 22Belleville Board of Education meeting for their accomplishments, which marked the high school's first time entering the competition.

Competing in the Special Olympics was among a series of activities the school district has embarked on in recognition of those with learning disabilities, said Michael Vargas, director of Special Services for the Belleville School District.

"This year our chorus was able to sing the national anthem at the Walk for Autism at Met Life Stadium, which was a new honor for them," Vargas said. "They did a fantastic job."

In addition, the district raised $8,260 for Autism Speaks and $1,500 for future Special Olympics endeavors in which Belleville students will participate, he said.

The funds were raised in April as part of National Autism Awareness month, during which students and staff of the district raised awareness of and money to fund research for treatments to combat autism, he said.

The activities included a T-shirt fundraiser and the district's third annual Dress Down for Autism Day, during which students were invited to dress down.

Blue lights were placed in schools in recognition of the month and jugs were placed in district schools to collect donations for Autism Speaks, Vargas said.

Belleville's School No. 7 had students go outside and stand in the shape of a blue ribbon to symbolize support for and acceptance of students with autism, Vargas said.

A photo of the students standing in the shape of the ribbon was taken and placed in a time capsule, which was then buried during the Belleville School District's 125th-anniversary celebration held last month, he said.

The district's fundraising efforts supported the Special Olympics competition in which students Castro and Rodriguez-Vidal medaled, at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield.

Email: kadosh@northjersey.com