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Troy Smith, a Surrattsville High School junior who has autism, and Dimond Voss, a general education sophomore, clasped hands under the bright Friday morning sun as they rotated a hula hoop around their wrists.

The hula hoop spinning was one of many events that made up Surrattsville High School's Challenge Day, which is a Special Olympics-like event celebrating its seventh year that brings together students from the school's special education program and general education students for a day of collaboration and competition. Like past years, more than 100 students participated, said Vanessa Anderson, the event's coordinator.

In 2004, high school special education students moved to Surrattsville High from Clinton's Tanglewood Special Center, located on Woodyard Road, after the Prince George's County school board decided there should be more integration for students with disabilities, Anderson said. Tanglewood remains a functioning facility for special education students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Challenge Day, an all-day event, helps facilitate the intermingling, she said.

"To see the combination of comprehensive general education students supporting the special needs students — they are severely impaired, in wheelchairs, nonverbal, that sort of thing — and to see the two of them blending together makes for a marvelous day," Anderson said.

The school is home to more than 50 special needs students and more than 900 general education students, Anderson said.

Events included a wheelchair race, tennis ball toss and tricycle ride, among others. General education students were partnered for the day with special education students. Children from Oxon Hill Middle School's special education program also participated.

Chelsey Blango, an 18-year-old general education senior from Clinton, said she got involved with the event because she likes to help people.

"I think it's a good experience for [students] my age to help out people who are handicapped just to see how lucky you are and be grateful for things you can do," Chelsey said. She said wants to see more programs like Challenge Day because they help everyone better understand each other.

Even though the special education program is housed at Surrattsville High, class members do not have regular interaction with the general education students.

"We really don't combine, so when [special education students] do come down our way, it's like people don't say much — they kind of just get out of the way," Chelsey said. "We could come together more."

Myles Garrett, who has worked in Surrattsville's special needs program for two years with Troy, 19, said Challenge Day and the interactions it facilitates are valuable for the whole school.

"The kids on the other side, sometime they are afraid of [special education students]," Garrett said. "They don't have to be afraid of [special education students]. They're just different and have disabilities."

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Other challenge days

Challenge Days happening elsewhere in Prince George's County schools:

-When: April 29; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

-Where: C.E. Rieg Regional School, 15542 Peach Walker Drive, Mitchellville

-When: May 11; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-Where: Tanglewood Regional School, 8333 Woodyard Road, Clinton

-When: May 13; 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-Where: Margaret Brent Regional School, 5816 Lamont Terrace, New Carrollton

-When: May 19; 9 to 11 a.m.

-Where: Panorama Elementary School, 2002 Calloway St., Temple Hills

-When: May 20; 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-Where: James E. Duckworth Regional School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville