What do you get when you mix a cappella and theater performances, a carnival, a petting zoo, keynote address by former Chicago Bear football player Glen Kozlowski and 500 athletes with disabilities?
Northwestern’s 25th annual Special Olympic Games.
Athletes between the ages of eight and 90 from Chicago and its suburbs are eligible to participate in Sunday’s games at Glenbrook North High School. Winners of Sunday’s games, the largest Special Olympics in Illinois, will advance to the statewide competition.
The winners will qualify as finalists, organizers said the atmosphere of the event is more supportive than competitive.
Though the organizers agree the games will be the highlight of their year of work, Special Olympics also has focused on celebrating its 25th anniversary. The group is holding a gala tonight at Navy Pier for friends and families of athletes and volunteers, corporate sponsors and more than 400 Special Olympics alumni.
NU Special Olympics co-chairwoman Melissa Bast said the games are a culmination of nearly a year of hard work for the athletes.
“They’ve been training as hard as any other athletes,” said Bast, a Weinberg senior.
Athletes have been training with student coaches for the past year. About 80 to 100 students volunteered to coach once a week at various facilities for disabled athletes in the area.
Co-chairwoman Alicia Meyer said athletes of various ages will compete at the event, although they don’t plan on seeing many 90-year-old participants.
“A lot of people think it’s only kids who participate,” said Meyer, a Weinberg junior. “We have a lot of people in high school and college, as well as people in their 30s and 40s.”
Bast and Meyer both said the main purpose of the games is to celebrate the athletes’ participation and to showcase their skills.
“Special Olympics is important because it emphasizes the athletes’ talent and skill,” Meyer said. “People have to realize that (people with disabilities) have skill too.”
Bast said all athletes are recognized for their participation no matter their performance in the actual events.
“Everyone gets an award – even the people who get disqualified get a participation award,” Bast said.
Bast said there are many alumni in the area and the gala will be a “really great way to thank them and let them know we’re still carrying on what they started.”
Meyer said organizing the anniversary celebration was the group’s top priority this year.
“More energy went toward planning the gala and drawing in alumni,” she said. “Our focus wasn’t really on fund raising, but it will be next year.”
Bast said the group had some trouble raising money due to changes in fund-raising regulations for all Special Olympics groups, which impacted their ability to have corporate sponsors.
Trying to increase their fund-raising total, the group held a 5K in April that raised about $2,000. They also plan to raffle off prizes donated by local businesses at Sunday’s games.
Organizers said they were unsure about the amount of money the group has raised so far.
