More than 300 athletes will take part in this year’s Special Olympics Spring Games.

Set to begin at 10 a.m. Friday with a parade of athletes, the games will be held at Forsyth Central High School.

Susan Darlington, transition coordinator with the school system, said the games, which will run until 12:30 p.m., include athletes from elementary, middle and high schools throughout the county.

“Some schools have quite a few athletes, while some might only have one or two,” she said.

Darlington said the games are free and open to the public to attend.

“Parking will be available at the school, and we’ll also have a shuttle running every 15 minutes from the bus lot next to Otwell Middle School,” she said.

In addition, Darlington said some 400 “buddies,” or regular education high school students who are paired with the athletes, will help out.

“Every athlete has one buddy, and some have more than one just depending on their needs,” she said.

The Special Olympians will take part in various events, which vary by school level.

Darlington said middle and high school students will take part in a softball throw and long jump, while those in elementary school will do a tennis ball throw and soccer ball kick.

All students will also run or walk around the track.

The games draw a large amount of support from businesses and the community each year

“We have about 175 volunteers,” Darlington said. “We’re maxed out and I still have people who want to volunteer.”

She added that this is “probably the most special day [the athletes] get to have.”

“They get to walk around all day with a high school student, all the volunteers adore them … and when they look up at the stands and see all those people cheering for them, wow,” she said.