FLICKR!!!

Hey Athletes and Fans!
Make sure you check out the official Flickr of the Villanova Special Olympics Fall Festival to see pictures from the weekend!
The link is below :) We hope you are having an amazing time and good luck at your competitions today!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101285252@N05/

GET EXCITED!

Tomorrow starts the 25th Anniversary of Villanova Special Olympics Fall Festival! Committee is so excited for the athletes to arrive, we cannot wait! A huge thanks to everyone working so hard to make this weekend successful and A HUGE WELCOME TO ALL THE ATHLETES AND COACHES!
ONE MORE DAY!

Athlete Spotlight: Meet Liz

MEET LIZ

Age: 37
County: Delaware County - Wildcats
Sport: Soccer.  Liz is a goalie.
Position: Athlete Representative on Fall Festival Committee.
When she got involved: Liz started Special Olympics when she was 14 years old. She became a part of the Villanova Fall Festival Special Olympics Committee, when Katie now the director of the 2013 Fall Festival approached her. Liz gladly accepted the position. 
Favorite Part of the Committee Meetings: Liz loves hearing and watching the committee members at work.
Favorite Part of Fall Festival Weekend: Being with friends and dancing at the victory dance.
Proudest Accomplishment: Winning medals. Liz has over 200 medals, which she displays on the walls in her apartment. Last year her soccer team won gold.
Other Activities: Liz's works at Swarthmore College.
Practices: Liz has practice Wednesday nights with her soccer team.
Fun Facts: Liz has one brother, one sister and a niece and nephew as well as dog Hadley! 

Athlete Spotlight: Meet Shana

Athlete Spotlight: Meet Shana!  
                                                                                                      

County: Delaware County
Age: 25
Sport: Volleyball, Swimming
How Shana got Started: Shana has been involved in Special Olympics for nine years! 
Favorite Part of Fall Festival: Shana's favorite parts of Villanova Fall Festival are O-Town, Opening Ceremonies, and seeing all of her friends!
Fun Facts: When Shana is not participating in a Special Olympic practice or competition she loves hanging out with her girlfriends. They have girls nights sleepovers! Shana has one nephew she loves to play with. Shana works at the YMCA when not practicing for Fall Festival!
Proudest Accomplishment: Winning a Bronze Medal in volleyball!

Meet our Festival Director Katie Bonnell

Age: 22

Major: Nursing

How did you become involved in Special Olympics? What motivated you to be Festival 

Director? My brother Gregory, who has Autism, is a Special Olympic Athlete. I became involved by accompanying him and my dad to his practices and just joining in. I learned to swim while at his SpO swim team practice, so I was immersed in it from a very young age. Once I was old enough, I was able to travel with the team to state competitions and assistant coach at practices, where I grew to love the athletes even more! Seeing the athletes come alive both on the court and off is inspiring to me and keeps me so involved in the organization and living the mission! When I came to Villanova, it was a natural fit for me to be so involved with organizing and leading the largest student run Special Olympics event! 

What is your favorite memory or experience from Fall Festival?

My favorite Fall Fest memory would be the Fall Fest after my dad passed away.  He was the assistant coach for my brothers Volleyball team and they had qualified for Fall Fest and watching them win the gold and the emotional response from the athletes, the families, and everyone around was incredible. Their coach told them to win it for my dad and I feel like my brother really took that to heart and played his heart out with everything he had. To witness that, as a student, sister, and committee member involved in SpO was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

What’s one thing you are looking forward to this year as Festival Director? 

Besides seeing my brother win the gold and the athletes having the best time of their lives, I am looking forward to seeing the student body, the committee, and the surrounding community come out and support the organization and the athletes. To see the committee members who have worked so hard to put on this great event and to see them really enjoy themselves and be proud of their work and thanking them for all of their great work will be really rewarding for me!

What other clubs or organizations are you involved with on campus? 

While this is my main commitment and leaves me little time to do other things, I am a member of the Student Nurses Association of PA and I go out and support all of the arts and theater events around campus! 

Some fun facts about yourself: My claim to fame is that I have never had a Facebook, which people tell me is cool, but I might have to cave once I graduate. 

Any additional comments about Special Olympics: It truly has been at the heart of my experience here at Villanova. There is no other organization on campus where I could get the experiences and form the relationships I have with SpO and I feel truly blessed to have been so involved from the start! Thank you to all of the committee members, athletes, coaches, volunteers, and families that make this weekend so great! 

4 Days and Counting!

Committee is hard at work, getting ready for Fall Festival this weekend!
It is not too late to volunteer. Head to Specialolympics.villanova.edu and click "Volunteers" for ways to get involved. 

Get excited for the best weekend of the year!

Check back tomorrow for a new update!

Athlete Spotlight: Meet Michael!  
                                                                                                       

Age: 41
County: Delaware County
Sport: Long Distance Running, Floor Hockey, Bowling and Horseback Riding
How Michael got Started: Michael has been involved in Special Olympics since he was eight years old! One of his favorite Special Olympics memories was when he ran a 5K race in Washington D.C.!
Favorite Part of Fall Festival: Michael's favorite parts of Villanova Fall Festival are the opening ceremonies and seeing all his friend that he has made over the years through Special Olympics. 
Fun Facts: When Michael is not participating in a Special Olympic practice or competition he loves working outside. This summer he swam at the Wildwood Beach a lot! Michael has 1 brother. 

Special Olympics Committee Alumni NYC Happy Hour

Whether you served on the 1st Fall Festival Committee or the 24th, you are cordially invited to meet fellow alumni as we ratchet up support for the 25th anniversary of the Special Olympics Fall Festival!

Catch up with old friends and make some new ones as we reveal all the ways you can get more involved in this year's momentous Fall Fest.  We'll also provide some updates on all the amazing things this year's student committee is doing and detail just how far Special Olympics at Villanova has gone in just 25 years...

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, September 25 from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Tavern on Third (380 3rd Avenue, New York, New York 10016).

For any questions, please feel free to contact Alessandro Roco at alessandro.roco@gmail.com.

Athlete Spotlight: Meet Jackie!
Age: 27
County: Delaware County, PA
Sports: Swimming, Volleyball, Floor Hockey
How Jackie got Started: Jackie started competing with Special Olympics when she was just 13 years old! There were 9 people from her county and now she's lucky enough to call them and now more some of her best friends!
Favorite Part of Fall Festival: Jackie's favorite part of Fall Festival is seeing the other athletes and hanging out with all the volunteers throughout the weekend. She also loves cruisin' through O-Town and dancing at the Victory Dance!
Proudest Moment: When Jackie won a gold medal in Swimming!
Fun Facts: Jackie graduated from Temple University! She has two younger sisters and a Boston Terrier named Max that she loves to play with. While she's not practicing for Fall Festival she loves to bowl with her family and watch the               Phillies!

STRIDES Glow 5K run for Special Olympics Fall Festival!

There is no better way to support the Villanova Special Olympics Fall Festival, then running with friends and family at the STRIDES 5k Glow run. It will take place on September 26th from 7:30-9:30 at Villanova University. Come run in the dark in your brightest clothes with fun glow sticks and toys, while getting excited for the Fall Festival!

We hope to see you all there! Click here to register!

http://www.eventbrite.com/org/4609402527?s=17225975

Welcome to the Special Olympics at Villanova blog!

Special Olympics Fall Festival at Villanova is the largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world.  Each year, Villanova hosts over 1,000 athletes, 400 coaches, and countless family, friends, and volunteers.  We have six Olympic-type sports that take place both on and in the area surrounding Villanova's campus.

Fall Festival is coordinated by a committee of about 90 dedicated students who are responsible for managing all aspects of the Festival, from food to transportation to hospitality.  We work for months to ensure that the first weekend of November is the best it can be (and have a lot of fun in the process!).

If you're reading this, you're probably wondering who's writing it.  Meet the Media and Publicity team! We (Kelsey Warren, chair; and assistants Lily Lies and Nicole Rogers) make sure to get the word out about Fall Fest and attract all the attention this wonderful event deserves.  We also manage the Special Olympics Villanova Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts and will be photographing all aspects of the Fall Fest weekend (if you see us walking around with cameras, come say hi!).

This year's Fall Festival marks the 25th anniversary of Special Olympics arriving on Villanova's campus.  From now through the event, we'll be posting updates on the committee's preparation and progress, as well as featuring athletes and other fun stuff.  Be sure to follow us as we prepare for what's sure to be the best Fall Fest yet!

Spread the word and get excited--only 137 days to go!
Special Olympics Villanova 25th Anniversary Trailer