Last Sunday, Villanovans celebrated both Special Olympics and NOVAdance with on-campus events. Special Olympics held its annual semester Unified competition and NOVAdance hosted Field Day.
FIELD DAY
NOVAdance held its annual Field Day event, this year holding it on Sheehan Beach with good times, friendly games and competitions to be held for the B+ Heroes. The Villanova community came out en masse to support the heroes, whether it’s the B+ Hero of their student organization, Greek Life organization or just in general.
As no hero rides alone, neither does any NOVAdance event, as Sunday marked the culmination of a committee-wide effort. For the two Co-Chairs of Family Relations this year, junior Dylan Cahill and senior Reese Trowbridge, Sunday was the best representation of how much of a true support system NOVAdance is.
“I think it is important to recognize that these events aren’t created by the two of us alone, they’re the result of the entire NOVAdance community,” Trowbridge said. “Without everyone on Committee, our new Engagement Coordinators, Hero Liaisons and Team Captains and countless others who show up to support, we would not be able to create the experiences and memories that we do for our B+ Heroes.”
During the event, Trowbridge was able to take in the fun times and unique, wonderful moments between B+ Heroes and their paired organizations on campus.
“A special moment for me was seeing NOVAdance’s newest B+ Hero, Alice, meet and bond with her sisters in KKG (Kappa Kappa Gamma), the organization she is paired with,” Trowbridge said. “Alice is an incredibly energetic and radiant girl whose laughter lit up the entire event. Watching that connection form in real time was not only incredibly special for us, but also a reminder of the joy and support the NOVAdance community brings to our heroes and their families.”
For those not involved in NOVAdance directly, but through those paired organizations on campus, Field Day marked the first time this year to get a chance to know B+ Heroes and gather together with fellow Villanovans for the cause.
“The importance of Field Day is to see the smile on everyone’s faces, but especially the B+ Heroes and their families and come closer as a community,” sophomore Matteo Moran, member of Alpha Phi Omega, said. “It’s a day to bond and help embrace the message of NOVAdance. I personally attended to meet new people and get to know Christos, APO’s B+ Hero, better and play some sports.”
While the day-of for NOVAdance may be months away, the organization will still have plenty of wonderful things in between, be it fundraising, on or off-campus events and this week, the everyday events of Awareness Week is all “For The Kids.”
“The mission of NOVAdance means building a community rooted in love, support and hope,” Trowbridge said. “It’s about creating a second home for our B+ Heroes and their families, making sure they never feel alone in their fight. NOVAdance goes far beyond fundraising. It’s about creating moments of joy, building lasting connections and showing our heroes that they always have a family at Villanova behind them. Being part of NOVAdance reminds me every day of the power of community and the difference we can make when we come together under a shared cause.”
UNIFIED
Every semester, Special Olympics hosts a Unified event for Special Olympics athletes, students and community members to come together to compete in a sports tournament. This weekend’s event was a basketball series that was held on the West Campus courts.
Throughout the event, senior committee member Megan Maloney had the opportunity to catch up with athletes she had met at previous Fall Fests, while playing on the yellow team for the duration of the event.
“It was an awesome way to reconnect with athletes and to make memories together,” Maloney said. “There was so much positivity during the event, and I’m still rooting for the Yellow Bananas team.”
Competition was not the only highlight of the Unified event. Athletes and students had the chance to partake in an opening ceremony and awards presentation, visit a low sensory zone and make new friends.
Junior committee member Aidan McGovern served as one of the team captains at Unified. Through this role, McGovern got to lead a team of students and athletes throughout the competition, while promoting the mission of the Unified program with others.
“Unified to me, it means Villanova,” McGovern said. “It’s a place where those leaders can make a difference in the lives of athletes and families who may need it most. This past weekend, our community watched as our values were put into practice and love led the way.”
For many students, Unified is a tradition in the Special Olympics community that is looked forward to all year. Senior committee member Taylor Wisely reflects on what her experiences attending Unified events for the past four years has taught her.
“For me, Unified reminds me of how wonderful it is to be a part of a team,” Wisely said. “Having the chance to form new friendships, cheer each other on and celebrate with one another throughout the day truly shows the impact of inclusion and brings me so much joy year after year.”
Even though the fall Unified event is over, the Villanova community can look forward to the annual Special Olympics Fall Festival. In approximately 40 days, thousands of athletes and volunteers from across PA will gather on campus for the world’s largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world and to spread the mission of inclusion with each other.
“With Fall Fest quickly approaching, it can be easy to get caught up in planning, coordinating and executing the weekend,” McGovern said. “As it always does, this year’s fall Unified grounded us in why we do what we do and who we do it for.”
