Loras Hosts Special Olympics Challenge Day

This from Kinsey Campbell, Loras College SAAC:

"On April 27^th, the Loras College Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted their 2^nd annual “Special Olympics Challenge Day” in conjunction with the NCAA Division III and Special Olympics Partnership. We welcomed over 100 Special Olympic Athletes in attendance, as well as over 75 of our own Duhawk student-athletes. This event was reported as having the 2^nd highest attendance of Special Olympics Athletes in the State of Iowa this year. This event included different events such as bowling, basketball, volleyball, and ball darts. We had student athletes at each station encouraging and supporting the athletes that face different severe physical and mental challenges. We’re proud to carry on the tradition and we’re excited to create a foundation for years to come."

Kaitlyn Kutsch (Freshman Lacrosse): 

"I helped with the bean bag toss and a little bit with awards, volunteering was a rewarding and accomplished experience, my favorite part was the excitement from some of the participants, we had a bunch of kids come back and want to play our game which was really cool."

Niki Rivera (Senior Women’s Basketball):

"For the Special Olympics Challenge Day, I had the opportunity of being partnered with a Special Olympics athlete.  We had a great time together!  My favorite part of the day was seeing how happy she was when receiving awards at the end of the day.  Volunteering for Special Olympics is such a rewarding feeling and it is always worthwhile.  Seeing all the Special Olympics athletes compete during the day makes you take a step back and realize how blessed you truly are."  

Cole Smith (football): 

"This last Saturday, the football team volunteered at the Special Olympics, which was held in the Athletic Wellness Center, and during our time volunteering at this event, we helped out with many different events and facets of the event. Some of us helped run stations, such as soccer kick, ball darts, and ramp bowling, some of us helped out with lunch, and some of us took on a role as a helper to one of the athletes at this event. Overall, helping out with the Special Olympics over the weekend was a very gratifying experience for the entire Football team and the hospitality of the individuals managing and running the event could not have been any better; their hospitality and gratitude towards us was amazing and we cannot thank the individuals who ran the event any more. Also, the athletes that participated in this event were amazing, both in their sportsmanship and their competitive attitude, and the interaction with all of these athletes was a great experience for the athletes on the team, and all of the other student-athletes from Loras that helped, to have."