2/13/12
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Paige Mills '14 high-fives an Olympian as Sarah Parsons '15 looks on.
Click on Special Olympics for a slideshow of photos. |
Everyone’s a winner when it comes to the Special Olympics.
The Randolph-Macon College
Athletic Department, in conjunction with Special Olympics Virginia, hosted the James River Regional Basketball Tournament on February 12, 2012. More than 30 teams from around the region competed, with the goal of advancing to the Special Olympics Virginia Basketball Championship, which takes place in March.
Nearly 200 R-MC students, coaches, and Athletics Department administrators showed their Yellow Jacket pride by cheering on athletes who competed in full- and half-court games in the
Brock Center and Crenshaw Gym.
R-MC student-athletes also sold t-shirts, worked the clocks, helped park cars and ushered. Chartwells Catering provided free meals to more than 800 Olympians and their families.
Click on Special Olympics to see a slideshow of photos from the event. During the Opening Ceremonies, Sterling Dickerson of Special Olympics Virginia welcomed athletes, fans and volunteers. Following the Invocation, National Anthem, and Special Olympic Oath, the games began.
In addition to basketball games, participants competed in skills competitions, which included passing, dribbling and shooting. The skills competition was led by
Women’s Basketball Coach Carroll LaHaye and her team. Olympic Town, set up in the Brock Center, offered younger athletes activities such as board games, dodge ball, wallyball and karaoke—as well as the opportunity to interact with R-MC athletes.
Head
Women’s Lacrosse Coach Caitlin Moore, who helped organize the event, says the tournament gave R-MC students the opportunity to see firsthand the power of volunteerism.
“Our partnership with Special Olympics Virginia provides an exciting opportunity for our students to support and interact with the local community,” says Moore. “This was a great learning experience for the Special Olympians as well as our student volunteers.”
Psychology major
Jillian Asay ’12, a member of the
women’s basketball team and a member of the
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), served as a student leader.
“I helped coordinate details and made sure everything ran smoothly,” says Asay. “This event allowed me to combine my two passions: playing basketball and working with special-needs individuals. This event was eye-opening for us all, as well as a way to further enhance our compassion and respect for Special Olympic athletes.”
Director of Athletics Jeff Burns ’87 says, “Our hope is that this is just the beginning of a relationship between Randolph-Macon College and Special Olympics Virginia. Our student-athletes experienced the ‘spirit of Special Olympics’ and will have cherished memories that will last a lifetime.”
Following the games, Randolph-Macon hosted the Olympians for a post-tournament dance in the Alumni Gym.
Jesse Getchell ’14, a member of the Yellow Jackets
baseball team, served as deejay.
In June 2011, R-MC, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) entered into an official partnership. The affiliation between the organizations is part of a NCAA Division III initiative that was implemented by the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the NCAA Convention in January 2011.
The purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes.
Randolph-Macon College has a longstanding tradition of community service.
In 2011, Sociology Professor Reber Dunkel was named Coordinator of SERVE (Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteer Experiences) in the Office of Student Life.
In 2010-11, R-MC students collectively amassed almost 8,000 volunteer hours. Nearly 50 students spent an alternative Spring Break in Florida for a combined 950 hours with Habitat for Humanity and 130 hours for a Haiti Relief project. Students in R-MC’s Greek organizations contributed more than 4,500 hours of collective service to the community, collected 550 pounds of canned food, donated 60 inches of hair to Locks of Love, 21 toys to Toys for Tots and generous funds to various organizations. In addition, money was raised on campus and donated to the Red Cross & Partners in Health for the Haiti Earthquake Relief. The SERVE program, in the Office of Student Life, is an integral part of Randolph-Macon’s Leadership Development and Service Initiative.