Sailors, assigned to Navy Recruiting Command (NRC), volunteered at the 2015 Special Olympics at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, May 2.

The volunteers handed out ribbons, served as time keepers for runners and guided contestants between event stations.

The program kicked off with the traditional running of the torch by the group of Navy volunteers.

"Seeing all of my shipmates running around the track with that torch held high was almost surreal," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class James Thornton, Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program manager for the operations department at NRC. "It's something special to witness in person Sailors coming together to do something you normally only see on TV."

Athletes participated in a variety of sporting events ranging from the 100-meter dash to the softball throw.
Participating in the festivities hit home for a few of the volunteers.

"This experience means a lot to me because I have a son who is autistic so I understand how important events like the Special Olympics are," said Chief Navy Counselor Tara Concepcion, force executive assistant at NRC. "I just appreciate getting to come out and support differently abled athletes as they show exactly how capable they really are."

More than 20 Sailors came out for the event. The volunteers were then split between the track events and the field events.

Sailors helped pass out first, second and third place ribbons for each event.

Special Olympics serve as a year-round international program to promote physical fitness, cooperation, social skills, competition and self-esteem for people with disabilities.

For more information about Navy recruiting, visit www.cnrc.navy.mil.

For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, visit www.navy.mil/.