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Inclusivity and sportsmanship

Lindsay Thurber to host Unified Sports Jamboree on May 6

May 1, 2026 | 2:58 PM

Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School is set to host its Unified Sports Jamboree next week.

On Wednesday, May 6, they’ll bring 120 students and partners together to take part in the event, which is about enjoying friendship, inclusion, fostering relationships, and having the opportunity to be a part of something.

The tournament will include student-athletes from Lindsay Thurber and student partners competing in basketball and bean bag throw.

Unified Sports is a part of Special Olympics programming and is designed to break down barriers by pairing students with intellectual disabilities and their peers on the same teams.

RJ Willms, teacher at Lindsay Thurber, said the impact is immediate and lasting.

“You don’t have to explain what inclusion looks like here, you can see it the second the games start,” he said. “There’s lots of encouragement, a lot of laughter and a real sense that everyone belongs.”

The basketball portion is played three-on-three, with two athletes and one partner on the court, while bean bag throw teams consist of one athlete and one partner working together.

Event coordinator Logan Grenier said it’s competitive, but in a way that lifts everyone up.

“Students are proud to represent their school, and they take that responsibility seriously,” he said. “You can see their confidence grow throughout the day.”

More than anything, Willms added that the relationships built through Unified Sports are the program’s biggest success.

“The connections are genuine,” he said. “Partners aren’t here because they have to be, they’re here because they want to be part of it. That changes everything. It creates a space where students feel valued, included and excited to come back.”