MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—A group of local high school juniors is organizing an inclusive basketball game to promote community involvement and raise awareness about developmental disabilities. The event, titled “Just Like Us,” is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, at River Valley High School.

The game is the brainchild of the Marion and Crawford Prevention Program’s Youth Leadership group, a program that invites juniors from all Marion County schools to participate in community projects and learn leadership skills. Reese Hunt, a junior at Pleasant High School, explained that the idea came about after Nikki Workman from the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities spoke to the group.

“We wanted to show the Marion community that people with developmental disabilities are just like us,” Hunt said. “They’re not any different. They can do the same things that we do.”

The event aims to bring together individuals with and without disabilities to play basketball and foster a sense of inclusion. Participants from Special Olympics will also be involved as referees and cheerleaders.

The game is set to begin at 2 p.m., with registration starting at 1:30 p.m. The event will also feature educational snippets about developmental disabilities and the Youth Leadership program.

“We want to pack the gym,” said Workman. “We want the whole family to come out and enjoy this event.”

Registration is available online at marioncountydd.org, where individuals can sign up to play, cheer, or be a fan. The first 100 registrants will receive a free T-shirt.

“We really need players at this point,” Workman said. “We want lots of sports enthusiasts to come out, all ages.”

The Youth Leadership program, now under the Marion and Crawford Prevention Program, aims to engage young people in the community and highlight the positive aspects of Marion County. The program selects juniors from all Marion County schools, including Tri-Rivers Career Center, to participate in monthly meetings and community service projects.

“It’s just a great way to get young kids excited about Marion, and hopefully they all learn all this stuff and then they come back and they end up living here and raising families here,” Workman said.

The “Just Like Us” basketball game is open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend and support the event.