Through a new club, Bigfork Middle School is ramping up its efforts to create an inclusive environment for people with and without intellectual disabilities.

The new Partners Club is a program of Special Olympics Project Unify that joins people of all abilities in activities, school events and athletics. Project Unify aims to have youths of different abilities serve as leaders in fostering a community of acceptance.

There have been about 30 sixth- through eighth-graders who have attended two Partner Club meetings held so far.

The Partners Club held its kickoff bowling event Friday at Pick’s Bowling Center.

“The idea is that all kids can participate,” said Leslie Stodghill, Partners Club adviser, Special Olympics coach and paraeducator. “It’s meant to be student-driven and meant to get kids involved.”

At the beginning the week, Stodghill had received about 20 permission slips and held out hope that 100 more permission slips would come in. On Friday the bowling alley was packed with the raucous cheers of about 106 students — something that made Stodghill tear up.

“I wasn’t sure if this was going to work,” Stodghill said over the din of bowling balls thudding onto lanes and the babble of conversation. “We’ve had dances and a bonfire, but not much participation, so this is the biggest turnout we’ve had for a middle school event.”

After knocking down all but two pins, 11-year-old Cooper Romano was congratulated by his friends. He had already bowled two strikes.

“I wanted to have fun with my friends and support the club,” Romano said.

Romano said he is very interested in participating in more Partners Club events or attending meetings. Romano said he already attends Special Olympics games every year to cheer on athletes.

Shelanne Gilbert, 11, considers herself a member of the Partners Club and sees it as an opportunity to become involved with serving her school community. Gilbert said it was also just another way to spend time with her friends who may or may not have intellectual disabilities.

“I’m friends with all the special needs kids,” Gilbert said. “I would love to do more activities like this.”

In previous years, students had “adopted” Special Olympics teams ­— sending cards of encouragement, goodie bags and cheering on competitors at state games, which they plan to continue.

But after starting a school Special Olympics team last year, Stodghill wanted to explore other possibilities for holding events throughout the year.

“I was brought into Special Olympics and Project Unify because of Shelley Emslie, who is a teacher at Swan River School,” Stodghill said “She knew I was a Special Ed aide and encouraged us to get a Special Olympics team started.”

From there it evolved into Project Unify. Another component of Project Unify in addition to the Partners Club are inclusive unified sports in which Special Olympic athletes are teamed up with their peers who don’t have disabilities but share a passion for the games.

“We liked the idea of Project Unify because it was like this group has their sports and this group has their sports and how do we bring it together?”

Special Olympian Ellie Moore, 12, participated in a few unified sports at past games. She took a break from bowling to share that her favorite unified sport has been bocce ball. Bowling just may become another favorite because Moore has already won a prize for bowling a strike and nodded in agreement that she was having fun.

After an hour, blacklights turned on illuminating students wearing white clothes and fulfilling the Partners Club “white out” theme, much to the merriment of the crowd.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].