Redlands students take the field for Optimist Games

REDLANDS, Calif. — About 400 students with disabilities from across Redlands Unified School District gathered April 10 at Redlands High School’s Dodge Stadium for the district’s annual Optimist Games, a decades-long event focused on inclusion, movement and community support.

Now in its more than 40th year, the Optimist Games bring together students from all grade levels and campuses for a day of activities designed to build coordination, confidence and peer connection. The event is sponsored by the Redlands Optimist Club in partnership with the school district.

Students rotated through dozens of stations set up across the football field, where they practiced skills such as running, jumping, throwing and kicking. Each completed activity earned participants a ribbon, and all students received medals at the end of the event.

“The Optimist Games reflect what we strive for every day in Redlands Unified, ensuring every student feels valued, included and supported,” Superintendent Juan Cabral said in a statement. “Grounded in our Portrait of a Graduate, EMPOWER, opportunities like this highlight the importance of creating learning environments where students of all abilities can build confidence, connect with others and experience success.”

Roughly 200 student volunteers from district athletic teams and campus clubs helped run the stations, joining staff and family members in cheering on participants throughout the day.

Moments of celebration played out across the field, including one that drew loud cheers when Citrus Valley High School sophomore Jamirre Johnson threw a football through a hanging tire.

The day concluded with lunch provided by the district’s Child Nutrition Services team.

The Redlands Optimist Club, chartered in 1947, organizes youth programs in the community and has long supported the annual games.