This last weekend was a good weekend for Ames, Iowa State and the rest of the state of Iowa.

Not only did Ames see increased revenue due to all the athletes, families and friends in town for the Special Olympics but it was filled with an innocence and joy that may go unmatched the rest of the year.

I attended the opening cermonies on Thursday night and it was something I’ll never forget.

Talking with Special Olympic athlete Duane Nimmo earlier in the week, I knew that the minute the lighted torch came into the building, it would be a special time but I wasn’t prepared for exactly what it would bring.

Before this moment, people were having trouble paying attention. It wasn’t from lack of trying. It was just plain hard to hear towards the back.

But as soon as the man carrying the torch entered the building, a cheer went up and the crowd rose giving their full attention to the man with the cone shaped device. The torch was the unifying force for the athletes, the volunteers and the fans.

There was one image I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

As the group ran around the track with the torch, one man was determined to get a picture.

He ran around trying to get the best view. I could tell he was getting upset but he didn’t give up. He finally got in a place where he could take a perfect shot.

I’ve never seen so much joy on a face.

The part that really amazed me was the reaction of his friend.

The man was so elated to get the picture that he’d been waiting all night for and his friend couldn’t of been more happy for him.

They enchanged a high-five, then a hug and a distinct “you did it, you did it” accompanied the conversation.

These two gentlemen had been waiting the entire night for that one picture opportunity.

They got exactly what they had wished for and made my night special in the process.

It’s hard to describe just how moving the Special Olympics can be.

The opening ceremonies weren’t for the fans and families. They were for the athletes.

Seeing Cyclones such as Bill Fennelly, Lindsey Lees, and Paul Shirley up on the stage meant more than anyone could imagine to these athletes.

Nimmo had told me earlier in the week that he follows Cyclone athletics and has a particular fondness for head football coach Dan McCarney.

Football is his favorite sport to watch. He doesn’t have a favorite player but he looks up to Coach McCarney.

Coming from a guy like Nimmo who likes to be the leader and likes to take control, it was the typical response.

What I didn’t realize at the time is the impact coaches and players make on these special athletes.

I’m sure Shirley, Lees and Fennelly made more than a few friends and fans for life during the ceremonies on Thursday night.

They were athletes and coaches interacting with other athletes and coaches.

There’s one thing that Nimmo reflected over and over during the time that I had the pleasure of talking with him. “These are the Olympics,” he said.

Indeed they are.

Emily Arthur is a junior in journalism and mass communications from Clark, S.D. She is the sports editor of the Daily.