VILLANOVA
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
WELCOME TO VILLANOVA SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Thank you to everyone who made last years Fall Festival so magical. We can't wait to see everyone for the 36th Fall Festival on November 1-3, 2024!
THROUGH BRAVE EXPLORATION, DISCOVER YOUR TRUE DESTINATION!
The theme for the 36th Fall Festival is “Through brave exploration, discover your true destination!” As human beings we all have a unique and beautiful path that has led us to who we are today. Why not celebrate and embark on this journey and discovery of our own personal destinations together? Our individual journeys have only just begun and we cannot wait to see where our life adventures will continue to take us. After all, there is no better place than Fall Festival to discover friendships and embark on a new adventure!
The Athlete Oath is “Let me Win But If I Cannot Win, Let Me Be Brave in the Attempt.” Let us all be brave in this new adventure as we strive to make memories and create new friendships along the way. Through the theme of exploration, let us be brave in exploring the unfamiliar paths that lie ahead, whether it's trying new activities, meeting new people, or challenging ourselves in different ways. Just as athletes push their limits to achieve their goals, let us also push ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the unknown with courage and determination. As we prepare for this upcoming Fall Festival, let's remember that the journey itself is as important as the destination.
The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival is hosted and organized by Villanova University students and is the largest annual student-run Special Olympics event in the world. Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) provides year-round sports training and competition for more than 20,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The organization offers over 260 local and sectional events and four major statewide events - Winter Games, Summer Games, State Floor Hockey Tournament, and Fall Festival - in 23 sports with the opportunity for athletes to advance to regional and international competition. Be sure to read more about this year's 36th annual Fall Festival here on our website and visit www.specialolympicspa.org for more information about other SOPA events.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY
Villanova University traces its Special Olympics roots back to 1979, when it played host to regional events, including the Eastern State Soccer Tournament. In 1989, the soccer tournament welcomed the addition of roller skating, volleyball, long distance running/walking, and equestrian to hold the first Fall Festival in the university's history. The Festival quickly became a well-publicized and popular campus event that was run by a student-only committee. As the Festival grew, so did the committee, and soon the event was coined as the largest annual student-run Special Olympics event in the world.
Today, with support from the university, SOPA, and the surrounding community, the event has grown to welcome over 1,000 athletes, 400 coaches, and 5,000 volunteers, holding competitions in bocce, long distance running/walking, powerlifting, roller skating, soccer, and volleyball. In addition to the competitive sporting events offered every year, the Fall Festival has grown to incorporate a variety of auxiliary activities, including elaborate opening & closing ceremonies, the celebratory Victory Dance, Healthy Athlete clinician screenings, an enormous Olympic Town, and a diverse collection of performers and musicians, all at no cost to the athletes.
To provide these services and amenities for the athletes, the Villanova Special Olympics Committee relies on fundraising and donations.
In past years, Villanova University has also hosted the 2006 National Games Training Camp and the 2007 World Summer Games Athlete Send-Off. In 2009, Villanova became involved in the national "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign, which seeks to stop the derogatory use of the word "retard." Also, in 2009, the university was honored with the Chairman's Choice Award from the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.
The Special Olympics Movement
MISSION: Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports.
SCOPE: Special Olympics currently serves more than 2.5 million persons with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 programs in more than 180 countries. Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but "their voices" as well.
Sergeant Shriver, former Chairman of the Board of Special Olympics International, may have best described Special Olympics when he wrote that the organization is unique and important because of the ways in which it inspires and reveals the very best in human nature. "It has become," he wrote, "one of the most encouraging and profound developments in modern sports."
ADVOCACY
At Villanova, we are dedicated to advocating for the mission of Special Olympics all year along. In addition to Fall Fest, we have events throughout the year that promote SpO's mission and benefit its cause and athletes.
We hope that you will join us in spreading the world INCLUSION all year long.
SUPPORT US
Would you like to support Special Olympics Fall Festival at Villanova to make 2024 the best competition yet? Check out our Volunteer Page, or Donate Here.