The Fayette County Dragons softball team will hold a game for the community to watch for its annual Dime-A-Dog night.
This free event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Eyman Park back diamond in Washington Court House. The game will be between the Dragons and the local first responder team, the “Guns N Hoses.”
“This is the third year in a row that we have done Dime-A-Dog night,” Tim Stewart, Fayette County Special Olympics coordinator with Fayette Progressive Industries, said. “Really the purpose is raise awareness for the Fayette County Board of DD and the Fayette County Special Olympics. We really don’t make a profit on this event, we just like to get the community involved.”
Stewart said that they aim to raise awareness and get residents out into the community to enjoy a nice event. He also said that there is no other place to get 10-cent hot dogs in town. Overall, Stewart wants a fun evening with some great softball.
“This year I believe we are going to have a bake sale and lemonade stand and of course all the hot dogs you can eat, last year we sold close to 800 hot dogs and I would like to go over even that,” Stewart said. “All proceeds will remain local and will benefit Fayette County Special Olympics, which is run by the Fayette County Board of DD. The money will go to purchase uniforms, pay for travel expenses and for future sporting events.”
According to Stewart, Special Olympics was created to help anyone with intellectual or developmental disabilities who is eligible to participate in team-oriented sports at a competitive level against similar teams. Stewart said that it helps participants find new friends or mentors and helps create special bonds with coaches, partners and teammates.
“On top of that it keeps them out of trouble,” Stewart said. “It keeps them out of jail, off of drugs, and different things they can fall victim to. It gives them kind of a purpose to do something or look forward to something. More and more people are becoming involved and I believe this year we have 67 eligible athletes in Special Olympics.”
Currently the Special Olympics program in Fayette County offers bowling, track, basketball, softball, cheerleading, gymnastics and more. This year flag football will be added to the programs and Stewart said they are never opposed to adding more sports to their list.
“The community in Fayette County has been amazing with their support toward Special Olympics,” Stewart said. “It has always had a great following, we have had great turnouts at our annual games, and it’s great for the players to play in front of a crowd, which doesn’t typically happen. Dime-A-Dog night is just a great opportunity to see these athletes play and support what the participants do.”
For more information about the event, to volunteer to help the program, or for more information on how to join, contact Stewart at (740) 335-7453 or at (740) 606-9431.
