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More than 300 high-school students grooved to hits by artists including Usher and Chris Brown and reconnected with friends during a school-hours dance Friday.

The special education students from Prince George's County boogied at the 11th annual Valentine's Day dance sponsored by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk and Special Olympics Maryland Prince George's County, which provides athletic training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities.

The event offered the students a chance to come together, socialize and relax, said Robert Long, secretary of the Prince George's County Elk chapter.

"Seeing them dance, having a good time ... that's what it's all about," Long said, adding that the Elk also take donations for Special Olympics. This year the group raised $500, he said.

The dance allowed the students, most of whom are Special Olympics athletes, to reconnect with former classmates and teammates.

"I just like to have fun," said 19-year-old Walter Douglas of Capitol Heights, a junior at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale who has attended several of the dances. "You get to dance with all your friends that you haven't seen in a long time."

In recent years, organizers have held two dances so the Elk lodge in Riverdale could accommodate the crowd. This year, more than 600 students altogether were expected to participate, Long said.

Many of the schools require uniforms, so the dance was a long-awaited occasion to dress casual and relax, said Trish Miles, county director of Special Olympics Maryland Prince George's County.

"This is a day when they get to come in ... [dressed down] and feel really good about themselves," Miles said. "They look forward to this."

The Elk reserve the lodge annually for Fridays before Valentine's Day, and request food donations from businesses, Long said.

The event included a hot dog lunch, with food and drinks donated by grocery stores and snack-food makers, Long said. Accompanying one donation was an actor dressed as Chester Cheetah, the sunglass-wearing cheese-snack mascot, who wandered among the dancers and posed for pictures.

Long, who grew up with a cousin with Down syndrome, said the enthusiasm he saw in the students at the dance was infectious.

"It gives me goose bumps," he said. "That's what it's all about, seeing the kinds having fun and enjoying it."

In addition to Charles Flowers, students attending Friday's dance came from Bowie High School, Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Forestville Military Academy, Fairmont Heights High School, High Point High in Beltsville, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro, Potomac High School in Oxon Hill and Parkdale High in Riverdale.

Students from DuVal High School in Lanham, Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro and Central High School in Capitol Heights will attend the second dance Friday.

dleaderman@gazette.net