FORTVILLE — In a day full of shouts and cheers, of laughter and excitement, there was one moment of quiet.
As her son’s name was read over the loudspeaker, Heather Mize slid a finger under her sunglasses to wipe a tear from her eye. Her husband, Garrett, wrapped his arm around her.
Their grief, their lingering heartache over the loss of their son, Andrew, was clear. But surrounded by his friends and classmates this week at Mt. Vernon High School, they smiled a bit through their sadness.
School officials honored Andrew — who died unexpectedly last month after a brief illness — on Tuesday afternoon at their second annual Special Olympics field day, announcing the creation of an award carrying Andrew’s name that will now recognize a special education student who shared his love of sports.
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Andrew had Down syndrome and was enrolled in Mt. Vernon’s special education program. He participated in the district’s Special Olympics events.
As they mourned his loss and helped their students understand what had happened, Andrew’s teachers thought up the award, knowing they wanted Andrew’s passion, his zest and excitement, to live on in some way, said Laura Durig, the district’s special education director.
A plaque carrying the names of the recipients will forever sit in a trophy case at Mt. Vernon High School, and each year the winners will get a statuette displaying Andrew’s name.
The announcement of the award — formally called the Andrew Mize Unified Champions Participant of the Year Award — was a surprise to the Mizes and the families of this year’s recipients, Grachelle Gibson and Lincoln McFarland.
Ronnella Means, Grachelle’s mother, said she was honored her daughter was one of the students recognized.
Andrew’s death was very shocking to everyone who knew him, Means said. She did her best to help her daughter understand why she wouldn’t be seeing her friend at school anymore, explaining to Grachelle that Andrew had gone to heaven, that he was in a better place.
She’s so glad Grachelle now had this piece of Andrew to hold onto, she said.
“This is special,” she said. “They were friends with Andrew, and to honor him in such a way is just a blessing. It’s just really great.”
Andrew was among the special-needs athletes who competed in last year’s inaugural field day, his teachers said. He was set to participate again in this year’s event.
They still remember how he darted around the field last year, taking part in wheelchair races and relays and interacted with his classmates, his face full of joy, Durig said.
So, in the years to come, the Mt. Vernon staff will look to recognize students who came out to the field day and showed that same level of enthusiasm, she said. Grachelle and Lincoln certainly exemplified those characteristics, she said.
Tuesday’s event was held at the track at Mt. Vernon Middle School. The students who participated wore matching yellow T-shirts and completed track and field events, from the long jump to foot races.
Mt. Vernon is a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, meaning its field days bring together special-needs students with their peers for an inclusive athletic event, said Drew Slentz, an occupational therapist for the district.
Where traditional Special Olympics events create opportunities for special-needs athletes to show off their skills, Unified Champion events partner a special-needs athlete with a buddy, who competes in the day’s events with them. Such programs were added to the Special Olympics’ litany of offerings in the 2000s, according to the organization’s website.
The goal is promote understanding, acceptance and respect between those with and without intellectual disabilities, Slentz said.
Since it’s creation last year, Mt. Vernon’s Unified Champion program has been a great success. Some 400 students — preschool to 12th grade — will participate in this year’s field days, held this week and next week, Slentz said.
School leaders only hope the program grows in years to come, incorporating more students and more athletic contests. And they’ll do it all with Andrew in mind, they say.