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| Grinnell Basketball Player Dominique Bellamy gets into a twirling competition with a SOIA Athlete |
Grinnell College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted its second annual Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) Unified Sports Day on Saturday, March 2.
Approximately 50 SOIA athletes from Ames, Des Moines and Grinnell participated in the event with the assistance of 60 Grinnell College students.
The program is an initiative that brings together SOIA athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called partners) on sports teams for training and competition.
“This is not a day of competition, but instead a day of awareness,” said Michelle Haney, SOIA Unified Sports Director Michelle Haney. “Grinnell College students were able to spend time with Special Olympics Iowa athletes and learn about persons with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics Iowa athletes in turn get to spend time with college students and learn about them.”
The event, which lasted from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., saw Special Olympics athletes participate in basketball, bocce, bowling, volleyball, soccer kicks and arts and crafts.
“I think that the event was a huge success in terms of being both fun and rewarding for Special Olympics athletes and volunteers alike,” said Karen Gogins '13, the Grinnell SAAC Community Service chair. “SAAC seeks to engage student-athletes in community service as a way to bridge the gap between the campus and the larger community. This Special Olympics event was a great way to do that, to give back to others, and to increase awareness and support for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“Special Olympics Iowa was a great help to me in planning the event, a task that required volunteer recruitment and logistical organization,” she added.
SOIA, a statewide nonprofit organization, has provided sports training and competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities since 1968.
Nearly 11,000 athletes and Unified Sports Partners participate in Special Olympics Iowa events and competitions annually. For more information, call 515-986-5520 or visit www.soiowa.org.
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