Late Night Olympics help raise funding
By CAITLIN EARLY
News Writer
The 17th Annual Late Night Olympics kicks off today at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Center.
Tonight's wide array of activities will include 15 team sport competitions, along with two mens and womens events, an exhibition basketball game between the rectors and the Special Olympians at 9 p.m. and an Open Skate from 10 p.m. until midnight.
The donation for the night will be $1 at the door of the Joyce Center. Aside from the scheduled events, there will also be a deejay, concessions and prizes, such as University sports apparel and gift certificates. All the proceeds from Late Night Olympics will benefit the St. Joseph County Special Olympics.
Based on higher entrance fees for dorm teams, raffle tickets sales, a 50/50 drawing and the Penny Wars, Bill Reagan, director of Special Events at RecSports, is hopeful that this year's donation to the Special Olympics will exceed the $6,000 contribution that resulted from last year's Late Night Olympics.
"We would encourage all students, even if they have not signed up for a dorm team to stop by on Friday night to support the Special Olympics," said Reagan. "Friday's Late Night Olympics will be a fun night for sport, camaraderie, and service."
Reagan, along with Gale Bowman, interhall sports supervisor, began planning for Late Night Olympics in October. After working in cooperation with the hall presidents and a special student planning committee to organize the night's events, Reagan and his staff are expecting more than 1,200 members of the Notre Dame community to come out for Late Night Olympics.
"As this is my first year as Director of Late Night Olympics, I wanted the thrust to be on the Special Olympics," said Reagan. "Through the advertisements and poster campaign, I wanted to show an ND student lending a helping hand to a Special Olympian to emphasize that Late Night Olympics is a noble cause to raise money for the Special Olympics."
The idea for Late Night Olympics originally came to Notre Dame by way of Sally Derengoski, current director of RecSports and RecServices, who had previously been involved with a similar project during her time at Indiana University.
Since its inception in 1986, Late Night Olympics raised a total of $60,000 for the St. Joseph County Special Olympics.
The St. Joseph County Special Olympics sponsors 258 athletes in variety of different sports throughout the year. A portion of the money from this year's Late Night Olympics will be directed towards supporting the basketball team, which has its sectional event on March 15. If the team is successful in sectionals, it will advance to the State tournament on March 22.
"It is a fun night for our athletes and as in past years, we hope to receive a good contribution," said Marilyn Palmer, county coordinator for St. Joseph County Special Olympics.
All News Stories for Friday, February 7, 2003
