Contributors donated more than $2,000 during the Wings and Rings fundraiser at Toot’s April 5 to pay for the Area 16 Special Olympics games Thursday at MTSU.
About 350 intellectually disabled students from Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools, private schools and adult centers will compete in the games beginning at 10:30 a.m. at MTSU’s soccer field.
School Resource Officer Dick Peach of Smyrna Elementary and Smyrna Primary will lead the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Other Rutherford County Sheriff’s SROs, deputies and high school athletes will run the Olympic torch beginning at 9:20 from Central Magnet School to MTSU’s soccer games. Runners will hand off the torch to a Special Olympics athlete.
The Special Olympics opening ceremony starts at 10 a.m. with the games beginning at 10:30 a.m.
John Harris, Special Olympics co-chair, said the Wings and Rings fund-raiser pays for transportation, ribbons and lunch for the athletes.
Toot’s owner Wade Hays and his employees partner with the SROs to fund the games.
The next Wings and Rings event will pay for sending athletes from the Spring Games to the Tennessee Special Olympics. SROs will wait tables during the next Wings and Rings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 8 at Toot’s on Broad Street.
Co-chair Lou Paschall said many customers attend the Wings and Rings event to interact with their SROs.
“We are thrilled to have the support of the SROs,” Paschall said. “They do so much to promote schools. It’s characteristic of the SROs at Wings and Rings to benefit people with disabilities.”
Paschall thanked Hays, Billy McCrary, Toot’s director of operations, Toot’s South manager John Renteria and the Toot’s South staff for their participation.
“They have great hearts,” Paschall said.
McCrary said Wings and Ring said Toot’s employees enjoy the event.
“This is the most special one because we’re giving back,” McCrary said. “We love doing this. We hope it’s a long-term relationship.”
