Good day,
attached is a press release from the city of St. Ingbert with a request for publication.
Successful inclusive sports festival sends a strong message for togetherness and participation
In the lead-up to the Special Olympics National Games Saarland 2026, the Pestalozzi School Rohrbach/Hassel elementary school and the Albert Schweitzer School St. Ingbert special education school Learning – held a joint inclusive sports festival for the first time in early June. From 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Wallerfeld sports field was entirely dedicated to movement, fairness, and lived inclusion.
About 370 children and young people with and without disabilities participated together at a total of 30 game and movement stations. The focus was not on sporting achievements, but on team spirit, mutual support, and the joy of movement. The children from both schools were mixed together – and it quickly became clear: everyone helps everyone. In this way, the core values of the Special Olympics – respect, togetherness, and joy in sport – were vividly experienced.
The event was opened in the morning by District Administrator Frank John. Interior Minister Reinhold Jost also attended the sports festival and promoted the Special Olympics in Saarland. Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer also took the opportunity to experience the special atmosphere on the sports field firsthand: “It is a joy to see how much fun the children are having here on the sports field, even though the weather is not optimal today. But that obviously doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Everyone is active and having a lot of fun together.”
The sports festival was made possible through the dedicated collaboration of numerous participants. The BBZ St. Ingbert provided the sports venue and infrastructure and actively supported the event. Although regular classes were partly no longer held there, students were on site and helped voluntarily, especially with their school first aid service. The Leibniz Gymnasium also provided valuable support with their school paramedics and as competition referees. The event was made possible above all through the intensive and very committed cooperation with DJK SG St. Ingbert, especially through Luca and Jasmin Hartmann, who contributed significantly to the success of the event by assisting with setup, takedown, and material provision.
FESTO and the booster clubs of the Pestalozzi and Eisenberg schools provided food and drinks with sponsored lunch packages for all participants. More than 50 parents from both schools supported the sports festival on site. With funding of €1,000 from the Ministry of the Interior and €150 per school from the Kreissparkasse Saarpfalz, among other things, medals for all participants could be financed.
The idea for the inclusive sports festival originated within the staff. Key participants included Nadine Kaul, special education teacher at the Pestalozzi School, Kathrin Lenz, Mr. Rumm, as well as the secretary of the Albert Schweitzer School, Marion Luck.
For both schools, it was the first event of this kind and at the same time the first major cooperation within this framework. The principals Nadine Backes and Corinna Roth-Petrak were enthusiastic after the sports festival: "This inclusive sports festival of our two schools is already a benefit for everyone involved. The collaboration across all boundaries was great fun and will surely be remembered positively by the children."
The inclusive sports festival at Wallerfeld vividly demonstrated how encounters, movement, and shared experiences can break down barriers. Despite the changeable weather, joy, openness, and solidarity prevailed on the sports field – a strong symbol of lived inclusion in St. Ingbert.
Photos: Giusi Faragone
Caption: Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer and the two female rectors Nadine Backes (left) and Corinna Roth-Petrak celebrated with the children a successful inclusive sports festival.
Caption: A total of 30 play and movement stations were available to the children at the Wallerfeld sports field.
