Making a Difference

My favorite part about volunteering is when your athlete is proud of him or herself, said Nora Dietz-Kilen, sophomore Alpha Sigma Alpha member. No matter how they perform, if they feel that they have made an achievement, they show it. Their happiness is so pure and genuine, which is a rarity today. Volunteers play an important part at the Special Olympics. Many events would not be possible without help from the community. The event is a good opportunity for the students and other community members to get involved and make a difference. Athletes can interact with volunteers and the energy from the extra encouragement helps them to do their best. On April 12, athletes and coaches from all over East Central Iowa will travel to Coe College to participate in the Special Olympics held on Clark Field. Members of Alpha Sigma Alpha volunteer at this event each year; the Special Olympics is one of the sororitys national philanthropies. Alpha Sigma Alpha hosts a craft table, paints faces, mentors athletes, and cheers for the participants. Other Coe students and Greek life are also involved. There are many volunteers from Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas. All the volunteers come together on this day to ensure that the athletes and their families enjoy their experience at the Special Olympics. As the athletes line up at the start of their race, there are both familiar and unfamiliar voices cheering them on. There are many people wearing bright volunteer bands standing at the sidelines beaming with encouragement and excitement. No athlete has to begin their race in silence; each athlete is important and is treated as such. There are families and volunteers from all over helping to ensure this experience will be worthwhile for the participants. Over 15,000 people have volunteered for the Special Olympics Iowa in all 99 counties of the state. There are 11 areas throughout the state of Iowa that serve around 12,000 athletes and Unified Sports Partners annually. Special Olympics Iowa offers sports training and competition in 23 sports. The organization has been growing and prospering since 1968. Special Olympics has been a national philanthropy for Alpha Sigma Alpha since 1976. On March 29, the women dressed up in red, white, and blue and jumped into Palo Lake for the Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. Each woman who wanted to plunge needed to raise $75.00. After much fundraising, they were able to send 10 girls into the freezing 33 degree water and collect a grand total of $1969. All donations were sent directly to Special Olympics Iowa; donations are what make Special Olympics possiblethe organization is non-profit.

The sorority plans their own fundraising events as well. Each year Alpha Sigma Alpha hosts a spaghetti dinner and silent auction at Coe College in honor of the Special Olympics. All proceeds from the event, including auction sales, are mailed to the Special Olympics. This year the womens efforts raised $1328 for the organization. Combined with the donations from Polar Plunge, this is $3297 and a lot of volunteer hours served for the Special Olympics. All of the work the volunteers do is for the athletes. They love seeing them succeed and have fun. My favorite memory was from last year when my athlete, Clarence, won a ribbon for doing the ball toss. He was very humble but also so excited about the entire experience. He was shaking hands and taking pictures with everyone. He was beaming not with pride but with overall joy for the experience, said Dietz-Kilen. I am excited for my first Special Olympics. It is going to be a great experience and I am looking forward to bonding with my sisters and the community, said Kelsey Kornacker, Alpha Sigma Alpha philanthropy chair. I am excited to actually work with the athletes so we know how our fundraising efforts are benefitting them. Helping them to enjoy their experience is our number one priority. Its all about them.

Jenny Hardin 15 and athlete Ryan Corrigan