 The Special Olympics give children and adults with disabilities a chance to compete against each other in a number of sports worldwide. Our Anthony Scott was at Jack's House Bowling Alley in Brainerd today for the statewide Special Olympics Bowling Tournament. It's all about just promoting inclusion and it's a great thing we got going here. Students from schools all across central Minnesota were knocking down pins and having fun competing in the Minnesota Special Olympics Bowling Tournament. This is their varsity team, this is a great opportunity for them to compete and they can prove that it doesn't matter if you have a disability or not. I want to include you and make sure that you can compete and show off your skills. It is a unified bowling tournament meaning that athletes with disabilities are partnered with an athlete without a disability, also known as unified partners, and they compete as a team. To have those those connections, those friendships, it goes beyond just competing at the bowling alley or on the field. It's in the schools too that you get to see that inclusion movement. They get to compete in these sports and then they come back to school and they become friends and you see them high-fiving in the hall. It's so inspiring, it makes you feel very happy for them that they get to do this. Over 4,000 athletes will be competing across Minnesota this weekend and these events are something the athletes really look forward to. It's really fun and I love being in Special Olympics. It's a lot of fun to be here and see all our players from other schools and compete against them, so it's a lot of fun. Besides just having fun, the athletes learn a little bit about each sport that they compete in. We're trying to keep teaching the skills of bowling and the etiquette and all those things and then also having fun competing and just having a good time because these events are a big part of their their school year and they literally look forward to this and just making it a special event for them. It was a special day at Jack's House Bowling Alley as these athletes were striking out the stigma against disabilities. Reporting from Brainerd, Anthony Scott, Lakeland News. Tomorrow is the last day of competition with athletes bowling from nine until two in Brainerd. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.