A nine-year-old boy with Down syndrome was featured alongside local soccer players in Putnam County.
In its report, FOX 5 New York said the game lasted more than an hour, with Luca running and kicking the ball alongside the boys.
A Thank-You That Was Turned Down
After watching the game, Luca's mother offered the boys money to thank them, according to FOX 5. They declined.
The station reported that the boys told Luca's mother they did not want payment for playing with him.
Inclusive Sports Beyond the Pickup Game
Special Olympics describes Unified Champion Schools as using intentionally planned activities to promote social inclusion in schools. In the Hudson Valley, Hendrick Hudson School District says it began its Unified sports program in spring 2019 and has offered Unified Basketball and Unified Bowling. These are documented examples, not evidence of how widely such programs operate across the region.
