On Saturday night, Cabrini’s Dixon Center will be transformed into a dance floor and celebration for hundreds of Special Olympics athletes and members of the Villanova SpO community to celebrate the achievements of the weekend together.
The annual Victory Jamboree or “V-Jam” is held for all athletes, coaches, heads of delegations, Special Olympics Committee members, Volunteer Coordinators and Local Program Hosts. Throughout the Dixon Center, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy live music from DJ Dave in the main dance room, watch a movie, participate in bingo games and visit a craft room.
“There’s a ton of different activities, snacks, water and just fun energy and vibes all night to get everyone in the spirit for the last day of competition, and as a fun tradition of Fall Fest,” Entertainment Committee Member Martina Penelas said.
The Special Olympics Entertainment Committee began the planning process for V-Jam back in early April. The 2025 Committee is composed of seniors Taylor Wiseley and Martina Penelas, junior Mark Fusca and sophomore Peyton Loftis.
One of the primary goals of the Entertainment Committee was to incorporate this year’s Fall Fest theme of “Let Your Passions Unleash, Create Your Masterpiece” to their vision for V-Jam.
“So, the first thing that I think came to our minds, and probably most of SpE (Special Events Management Team), was a ‘starry night’ theme for V-Jam,” Loftis said. “So, picture blues, purples and stars, and that’s our way of incorporating the theme in the main room, as well as in each of the craft rooms.”
In addition to organizing the logistics for the day-of, members of the Entertainment Committee were also tasked with coordinating with other committees.
Throughout the planning process, Entertainment worked with the DEI Committee to design the low sensory rooms for athletes to visit. Additionally, they collaborated with the Evaluations Team to get feedback from last year’s event as it was the first year held on Cabrini’s Campus.
“Everything we have worked on is collaborative,” Penelas said. “There’s nothing we did alone, truly.”
Entertainment also teamed up with the Bocce, Transportation and Facilities Committees to prepare the venue.
“We worked with Bocce, because they obviously share the same space,” Penelas said. “We need to make sure that our decorations are okay and that we can break them down before Sunday’s competition. Transportation helps get everyone there. Facilities assist with all the tables and chairs.”
Prior to last year’s V-Jam, the celebration had never been hosted at Cabrini’s campus before. Previously, Mendel Field, the Villanova Room and the Finneran Pavilion have been utilized as the event location. Feedback from last year’s athlete attendees was prioritized when drafting the details of this year’s event.
“Obviously, last year was a brand new venue, so we didn’t really know the logistics of how things worked,” Penelas said. “The feedback of the day was that it was too loud next to the meeting room, especially since those are low sensory spaces, we don’t want them to be loud and over- stimulating. So, we modified those locations this year.”
Even though the event will begin later in the evening on Saturday, preparations for the lighting and decor of the venue will start as early as Wednesday.
“I hope everyone just has the opportunity to let loose and just really enjoy the moment at V-Jam,” Wiseley said. “I think it can be a very stressful weekend with athletes competing and with volunteers trying to get everything in order. I hope that V-Jam is just a time where everybody can have a good time and really just appreciate being with each other.”
V-Jam will present the chance for athletes and volunteers to take a break from their busy schedules of the weekend and enjoy a community of support and camaraderie.
