‘Champions Day’ held in downtown Jackson for local students

JACKSON, Tenn. — Champions Day was held Wednesday at the West Tennessee Farmers Market in downtown Jackson.

This annual event is a field day where every special needs student of the Jackson-Madison County School System is a winner.

“This event was started by Sandy Jones who passed away four years ago,” said Sacred Heart of Jesus High School Principal Adam Rust. “She was very big in the scouting movement, she was also a very big supporter of St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart of Jesus High Schools, and so she’s really brought this energy together to bring the Boy Scouts and Sacred Heart together to serve the special needs students of our community, so we definitely do this always with Sandy Jones memory in mind.”

It’s been more than four years since the last field day was held. The children enjoy many activities, including a LEGO derby race, bowling, airplanes, catapults, bean bag toss, coloring and much more.

“So this event has been going on for 10 plus years,” said Misty Croom, Central District Executive, Boy Scouts of America. “We had just now brought it back because we had to stop during COVID, but it’s a day where the Boy Scouts of America puts on an event in conjunction with Sacred Heart to allow the special needs kids of Madison County to come out and enjoy activities so they feel like they’re included too, and they have something that they can come out and enjoy.”

High school students came to volunteer to support seven schools across Jackson/Madison County that participated in this event.

“From Sacred Heart of Jesus, we had 70 students come,” Principal Rust said. “We had about 17 students come from St. Mary’s School, their eighth graders came to support it. And then, for the wider community, we had about 150 from Jackson Madison School System.”

Rust says he is grateful that his high school students are able to support this event for the first time post-pandemic.

“So it’s so great for our students. All of our students have never had this experience, so it’s the first year coming back, and they just love the opportunity to serve to give back to the community and do what we can to always help build Jackson up,” Rust said.

Although COVID postponed this annual event for four years, the Boy Scouts of America and Sacred Heart hope for many more of these to come in the future.

For more news in the Jackson area, click here.