DENVER — The Denver East Unified basketball team hosted a thrilling game against George Washington on Wednesday afternoon.
"It was the greatest game on earth," Unified athlete Cade Fifield said. "I can't believe we won."
In front of a sold-out crowd, the East Angels put up 52 points in a game that allowed athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to compete together.
"It was so exciting," Unified athlete Jakole Martin said.
The real show began at halftime when Special Olympics Colorado presented East with the National Banner for Unified Schools, becoming the first DPS school to receive the honor.
“This showcases all the work that they've done for the past 10 years to get to this moment," Chaka Sutton, Special Olympics chief outreach officer and senior vice president of sports said. "I mean, it just takes my breath away.”
166 schools were selected out of over 9,000 unified programs.
"East was one of those 166 and here in Colorado we only had seven, so this is a special moment," Sutton said.
This prestigious honor makes East the first school in Denver Public Schools to achieve such recognition, highlighting their commitment to inclusivity and unity through sports.
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