Haverford athletic teams lend helping hand at Special Olympics
VILLANOVA, Pa. – "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." - Special Olympics Athlete Oath.
Over 1,000 brave athletes participating in the 2011 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival gained some support from Haverford College student-athletes during the Nov. 4-6 event hosted by Villanova University.
Haverford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has organized a volunteer group of Fords athletes to help with the event for the past five years. Over 200 student-athletes from Haverford stepped up to assist the 2011 festival which was the 23rd put on by Villanova.
"Special Olympics is a great event that allows student-athletes at Haverford to cultivate strong connections with the community," said organizing SAAC executive committee member Josie Ferri. "We look forward to showing support for these hardworking and inspiring athletes each year."
Villanova's fall festival is one of four statewide Special Olympics events hosted annually and the 2011 version saw more than 1,000 athletes grace the competition fields along Lancaster Avenue. Haverford's student-athletes were part of 4,000 volunteers and 400 coaches that helped, cheered and coached this year's athletes.
Working the event bring different things to different people. "My experience volunteering at Special Olympics this year was extremely rewarding, and I am glad that I was able to take part in the event for another year," explained senior baseball captain Jeremy Zoll. "Seeing the excitement and enjoyment these athletes had on the soccer field playing in front of a group of fans made it really satisfying to cheer for them."
The NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Committee and Special Olympics announced their partnership at the 2011 NCAA convention. The community outreach effort of the program, implemented for the first time in the 2011-12 academic year, will link hundreds of SAACs at D-III institutions and conference offices with local Special Olympics Programs in each state.
The partnership is designed to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with D-III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between D-III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes. The partnership aligns with the D-III attribute of citizenship in the division's strategic-positioning platform.
The federated structure of Special Olympics organizations around the country provides opportunities for D-III student-athletes in every state to participate in a variety of existing programs or create their own service opportunities.
