The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) sponsored a swim meet for Special Olympics in Philips Gym on Saturday, Oct. 13. Almost 50 children from the surrounding community competed in several events. In addition to the 25 student volunteers who ran the event, families and friends of the participants filled the stands in Carr Pool to watch these persons with disabilities partake in competition.

Cheers from both spectators and those involved in the competition echoed throughout the pool area. The competitors did not swim for a medal, or to defeat another competitor; these children swam purely for the fun of it.

As one mother said after watching her son participate in an event, “Just to see my child so happy is any mother’s dream.”

Every two years, the North Coast Athletic Conference partners with a different community group. Currently that partner is the Special Olympics, an organization that aims to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in competitive athletics, with an emphasis on fostering physical activity and teamwork.

“The Special Olympics swim meet that we held a few weeks ago was hosted for these reasons,” explained sophomore Laura Messman, the Initiative Officer of SAAC and member of the women’s swimming and diving team. However, Messman noted, this was not the first time the Athletics department has hosted this sort of event.

“Last spring, [SAAC] hosted a different Special Olympics event,” Messman added. “It was a skills camp where students worked with Murray Ridge participants to learn and improve their tennis, soccer and volleyball skills.”

As evidenced by the supportive attitudes and competitive spirits of the participants, the event was a success. With this success, plans for more Special Olympics events are in the works for next spring.