It was the first event she had organised since being appointed the lower South Island regional sports co-ordinator for Special Olympics a month ago.
"I'm very excited," Aitken said.
"It's a 'Have a go day' and has been lots of fun for the children. Everyone gets a certificate."
Sixty-five pupils from 10 Otago schools, from Oamaru to Balclutha, participated.
"It's the first tenpin bowling event for Special Olympics held in Otago," Aitken said.
"It will become an annual event."
The Special Olympics secondary schools programme operates throughout New Zealand and is open to all school pupils with a disability, in-cluding those in special schools and mainstream schools with special education units.
"It provides motivation, realistic pathways and opportunities for students to participate in various sports and physical activities, building confidence and skills for a healthy and active lifestyle," Aitken said.
Special Olympics has a strong partnership with the Halberg Trust and the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, which work together to offer the Wednesday afternoon sports programme to schools with disabled pupils.
This term there has been training in indoor rowing, football and tenpin bowling.
The four sports offered as Special Olympics ribbon days in the lower South Island are athletics, aquatics, football and tenpin bowling.
In December, two school athletes from Otago - Andrew Thornton (basketball) and Matt Aitken (athletics) - will compete at the New Zealand Special Olympics Summer Games in Palmerston North.
Aitken has been a voluntary helper with the Special Olympics schools programme for the past two years, and the Independence Games for four years.
The Independence Games athletics team will start training in the summer.
