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Kevin Rates Day proclaimed for July 29

Kevin Rates Day has been proclaimed by Hancock County Fiscal Court to be Friday, July 29. Rates was a gold and silver medal winner at the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando in June. Pictured are magistrates Wayne Hodskins, John Mark Gray, Kasey Emmick, Judge/Executive Johnny “Chic” Roberts, Kevin Rates, Sage Petrie Young, and Magistrate L.T. Newton.

 

By Jennifer Wimmer 

Kevin Rates Day – July 29, 2022, was proclaimed by the Hancock County Fiscal Court, at their meeting on Monday, July 25, in order for the community to have a special day to honor him.
This day is for celebrating his 30+ years of competing in the Special Olympics, as well as his amazing victories of winning the gold medal in the 4×100 relay with Team Kentucky, the silver medal in shot put, and a fifth-place ribbon in the long jump at this year’s Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida, on June 5-12.
Kevin was present at the Fiscal Court meeting, and explained how he was asked to compete at the USA Games this year: “How it started was, my Sunday school teachers, Kim & Jeff Johnson, and my basketball coaches pulled me to the side at Sunday school class and asked me if I wanted to be a part of Team Kentucky for the USA Special Olympics.
I said yes. A lady contacted my mom and they got everything together. We flew out of Louisville to go to Orlando. I practiced for my events. One of the days we were going to practice the relay race, and they wouldn’t allow us to, because there was no medical staff there in case somebody got hurt. So, the next day, we did the actual event and ran it.”
Even without practicing first, Team Kentucky, with a huge lead given by Kevin as the third runner in the relay, brought home the gold! “I was very excited and very nervous, when we won the gold,” he said.
Upon his arrival home from the airport in Louisville, with his mother and father, Leon & Peggy Rates, they were greeted with a large fire truck parade in downtown Hawesville, with banners and citizens welcoming him back home, along with many of Kevin’s family members there to celebrate him in his victories.
Judge Roberts told Kevin at the fiscal court meeting, “You’ve had some great success. We want to congratulate you. I know this court feels like I feel, and like the County feels, we’re proud of you.”
The proclamation issued, is as follows:
“Kevin Rates has been a resident of Hancock County for more than 34 years. He has competed in Special Olympics for more than 30 years locally. His success in Special Olympics at the local and state level led to his selection as part of Team Kentucky for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida.
Kevin represented the state of Kentucky and Hancock County with honor at those games; winning a gold medal in the 4×100 relay, as well as a silver medal in the shot put, and a fifth-place ribbon in the long jump.
Therefore, I, Johnny W. Roberts, Jr., Judge/Executive of Hancock County, Kentucky, do hereby proclaim Friday, July 29, 2022, as Kevin Rates Day and urge all citizens to honor Kevin Rates for his achievements at the Special Olympics USA Games.”
The proclamation was signed on July 25, 2022, by Judge Roberts, and attested to and signed by Sage Petrie Young, Hancock County Fiscal Court Clerk.
Present at the meeting, were also: Magistrate District 1, Wayne Hodksins; Magistrate District 2, Kasey K. Emmick; Magistrate District 3, John Mark Gray; and Magistrate District 4, L.T. Newton.

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