Special Olympic volunteer touched by participants
This is the fifth in a series of nine stories.
After years of volunteering for the Fayette County Special Olympics, Kenneth Lint says he continues to be struck most of all by the warmth of the participants.
“I only wish all athletes could be as gracious in winning and losing,” says Lint. “It is really wonderful to see the hugs and high-fìves and encouragement that [they] give one another before, during end after every event.”
He adds that the athletes he works with are all their own people, with unique personalities and goals, but they share one common trait: they all hope “to be treated with the same respect that all people want and deserve.”
For the last seven years, Lint has played an important role in the Fayette County Special Olympics, helping to set up for events and fundraisers, maintain the event field, sell tickets, and decorate for activities, as well as attending every practice and event to ensure the safety of the athletes.
And at the end of every year, Lint and his family — including his wife Laurie Lint — host a picnic on a Dawson farm, where Special Olympics participants and volunteers get together for food and fun activities. “This picnic is the best way for all of the families and athletes to come together and just enjoy each other and relax,” said Lint.
Currently, Lint attends Laurel Business Institute, working toward dual degrees in computer networking and security and computer software. He hopes that after obtaining his degrees, he will find a career that allows him “to live a decent life” and still enjoy his hobbies, including his volunteer work with the Fayette County Special Olympics.
Through it all, Lint is modest about his volunteer efforts and his rigorous education–a trait that he says the Special Olympics and its participants have taught him.
“I have learned so much from the experiences with the Special Olympic program,” he says. “This has taught me more patience, pride, and humility than l ever thought could be done.”
For his community service efforts, Lint has been awarded the Fayette County Community Service All-Star Award.
He’s among nine local students being honored for putting forth an extra effort to make a difference in their communities.
Participants include students from Albert Gallatin, Brownsville Area, Frazier, Connellsville Area, Geibel Catholic, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area high schools, along with Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and the Laurel Business Institute.
Each school selects its own award winner, based on the student’s community service endeavors over the last three years. Students must have a minimum 3.25 grade-point average.
Under the program’s guidelines, a $500 check will be sent to Laurel Business Institute on Link’s behalf. He could also receive a matching grant from the Community Foundation of Fayette County, depending on certain requirements.
Sponsors include the Herald-Standard, Dave and Linda Meredith, Jes Hutson, Cherokee Fur, Inc., Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Paul and Shelley Songer, United Bank, Ben and Dr. Barbara Wright, Russell Blaho, Coldwell Banker, Dan Evans, Hartsek Catering, Kisiel and Associates PC, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Alumni Society, Joe and Katie Price, Rock Bottom Motors, Sepic Orthodontics, Jim Saul, Abby’s Gold and Gems, Martha Brownfield, Larry and Carol George, Leda Gismondi, Tim and Debbie Seeger, Doug Wood, Upper Room, Inc., Gismondi Associates PC and Slavik’s, Inc.
Committee Trustees are Paul Bortz, Cindy Digga, Leda Gismondi, Dave Meredith, Tara Phillips, Jim Saul, Katie Semans, Mark Skoric and Jes Hutson.
The students will be honored at a 7:30 a.m. breakfast Wednesday, May 8, at the Holiday Inn in Uniontown.
Ben Wright will be the master of ceremonies, and Gina Jones, a professor at Penn State Fayette, will be the guest speaker.
Two co-captains will be named in honor and memory of Harry Brownfield and Jim Gismondi.
The co-captains will receive an extra $100. This is the 10th year for the program, which started in 2004.