Saugus Special Olympics founder donates iPads to special ed students

SAUGUS – The technology is available and Steve Agganis wants to make certain special needs students in the Saugus public schools are provided with it.Agganis demonstrated the power of local fundraising recently when he presented the School Committee with five iPads and a classroom electronic SmartBoard for use teaching special education students.Agganis and his wife, Rena, are parents of a special-needs student ? their 5-year-old son Gerry. They were joined in making the presentation by parent and advocate Kellie Nickole, whose daughter is also a Saugus special-needs student.”We’re about helping kids with disabilities,” said Agganis, a distant nephew of the late Lynn football legend Harry Agganis. “I’m a proud parent of one. We try to help out the kids who have special needs. My son has Down Syndrome, so this equipment will help people like him and his buddies.”For the past five years, Agganis has run the Saugus Agganis Special Olympics, the first four at World Series Park and in 2010 at the Saugus High School athletic field where a summer carnival raised nearly $30,000.”Some of that money went to pay for the iPads and SmartBoard,” said Agganis, noting the five events have raised approximately $100,000 since the fundraiser’s inception. “The equipment goes into special-education classrooms, but we don’t tell them what particular school to use it in.”Plans are still under way for the 2011 version of the event. “Hopefully it will be in the summer. We want to keep our special needs kids in town. We don’t want them waiting on buses for two hours a day,” said Agganis, explaining the previous fundraisers paid for museum visits and field trips, including transportation.The advanced technology equipment purchased earlier this month marked a departure from that spending trend. “The money we used to pay for the iPads was raised last year,” he said.Agganis, a local building contractor, has partnered with Saugus resident Robert Davis to ensure the events are a success. Together they headed up the Saugus Special Olympics at World Series Park. The event far surpassed the anticipated softball tournament and bevy of local entertainers. The entertainment lasted all day and included musicians, dance troops and cheerleading demonstrations.A group of Saugus special-needs students were given a trip to the Topsfield Fair, courtesy of the event proceeds. As Agganis explained, the funds were not raised to make repairs or pay tuition, they were to ensure kids have fun and participate in field trips.”Me and Bob started this five years ago and we knew we had something special,” Agganis told the committee, adding he hopes the event continues to grow.Agganis shrugged off School Committee accolades for his community service. “It’s not for us, we don’t get any medals,” he said. “We do this for the kids.”