On the weekend of Nov. 7-9, thousands will flock to Villanova for one of the biggest weekends of the year: the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival.
While the Special Olympics features sporting competitions, there will be numerous events on Villanova’s campus this weekend that do not revolve around athletic competition: an opening and closing ceremony, the Victory Dance and Healthy Athlete clinician screenings.
These non-competitive events are run by five committees: Healthy Athletes, Awards, Ceremonies, Entertainment and Fundraising. Every aspect of the weekend is run primarily by Villanova students. The Fall Festival will feature about 1000 volunteers from Villanova’s Inclusion Crew, 300 Local Program Hosts and 2500 general volunteers.
Healthy Athletes is a program that allows for the athletes participating in the games to receive free screenings and health information in order to promote healthy habits and practices.
Junior Abby Boyle serves as a volunteer coordinator for the Healthy Athletes Committee. Boyle and three other coordinators oversee about 30 Inclusion Crew (IC) volunteers. She has been involved with the Special Olympics through all three years of her time at Villanova.
“Special Olympics brings so many people together, and is a great way to get to know other Villanovans and help spread the mission of inclusion,” Boyle said.
Students in the Healthy Athletes Committee assist in taking athletes’ blood pressure, measuring their heights and weights and even conduct bone density screenings. Additionally, they provide health education regarding topics such as nutrition, exercise and sun safety.
They also run stations around different parts of campus that provide healthy snacks for the athletes, as well as promoting healthy habits.
As a whole, the Special Olympics organization has performed more than two million free health screenings for athletes, dating back to 1997. Over time, the organization has integrated more aspects into the screenings, contributing to advancements in detecting unseen conditions and health problems for athletes. It also now includes exams in dentistry, podiatry, audiology, physical therapy and emotional health.
“It is so cool to be involved in an event that means so much to so many of the athletes,” Boyle said.
Volunteering for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Committee allows for students who aspire to work in healthcare to gain real-life experience communicating and caring for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. For Boyle and others, this an important skill to have in the medical field that they can develop through their involvement in Healthy Athletes.
At the end of the weekend, once the athletic competitions are complete, student volunteers on the Awards Committee step into their own roles. To celebrate the athletes and honor their dedication, the Fall Festival concludes with official ceremonies in which awards are announced.
The Awards Committee Chair, senior Rob Vagnini, coordinates the award ceremony for each venue. As his responsibilities take place outside of the athletic competitions themselves, Vagnini sees the awards ceremony as an important way to recognize individual athletes and promote the overarching message of inclusion.
“[Special Olympics is about] the idea of spreading inclusion, even beyond Villanova,” Vagnini said. “There’s something really special about sending a message, like around the world, that inclusion doesn’t necessarily have to be confined to just those three days.”
Competition for each sport will begin on Friday, Nov. 7, between 1 and 1:30 p.m., and will go through Sunday, Nov. 9. Awards presentations will be on Sunday, along with dual closing ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
