Town honors Olympian’s birthday

Residents and visitors came together to celebrate the life of the “World’s Greatest Athlete” in the town that bears his name over the weekend.

Jim Thorpe Area High School appropriately played host for the opening ceremonies of Jim Thorpe’s birthday weekend.

The Olympic champion’s birthday coincides with the regional Special Olympics, featuring Carbon County, Luzerne County and Columbia/Montour, which were held on Saturday.

Special Native American themed presentations celebrated Thorpe’s ancestry as a member of the Sac and Fox Nation at the high school’s gymnasium, featuring dances, music and more.

Don “Wild Eagle” Wuebber of Brodheadsville, who is of Pima-Maricopa ancestry, began the event with a speech honoring the elements of nature that make up the world around us.

“We give thanks to all these directions — the north, the south, the east, the west, the sky world, the land world, the underneath world. … The town of Jim Thorpe, we give thanks to, and the Special Olympics, the nations, the people, and all other nations that surround us,” he said.

Despite the rain, the hallmark torch run was held with a little adjustment for safety, with the bearers using a piece with a prop flame more suited to the indoors.

Cross-country athlete Noah Rogers took the ceremonial torch for a run around the gymnasium before presenting it to Special Olympic competitor Luke Bynon, who carried it for another lap. Bynon then passed the torch to his brother Gerard, who rested the torch in a holder.

The cross-country team trekked from the high school to downtown Jim Thorpe, timing their run so that they would arrive at the clock tower at noon.

John Thorpe, grandson of Jim Thorpe, told the crowd about a reservation school in South Dakota with a talented basketball team bearing the name of his grandfather. Unfortunately, he said, the sports teams at Pine Ridge School had no money for staples like uniforms and equipment.

“Up to this point, Jim Thorpe students have raised almost $2,000 for them,” he said, encouraging the crowd to applaud their efforts.

Thorpe said that he was honored to be at the event, and in awe of the students and their drive for greatness.

“The way that the students have come together to honor my grandpa in the way they do, you can feel the pride everywhere in this school,” he said.

Wild Eagle’s son, Joachim “Star Cloud” Wuebber, performed a “Circle of Life” dance with a collection of hula hoops, backed by the Medicine Horse Drum Group. As Wuebber danced about, he collected the hoops from the ground and assimilated them into an outfit representing various animals.

Wild Eagle invited everyone in the bleachers to participate in a friendship dance, with the crowd forming a large circle in the center of the gymnasium floor, shuffling in syncopation with traditional music.

Festivities ran on throughout Saturday and Sunday at Josiah White Park and the Dimmick Memorial Library, including an Earth lore and dance session with Wild Eagle and his family, musical performances, special activities and vendors.

Special Olympics organizer Dave Rodrigues said that the birthday celebration and athletic games have been connected for years, and that the spirit of Jim Thorpe is a great inspiration for the competitors.

“You’ve got Jim Thorpe, the world’s greatest athlete, and our Special Olympic athletes. It just seems like a natural fit to be competing on this day, in his honor, celebrating his achievements, and trying to do something big themselves,” he said.