ESSO in Action
On Sunday, May 17, ESSO Special Olympics will be sending Exonians over to Exeter High School to help volunteer for a Special Olympics track meet, which will have hundreds of athletes attending. We need as much help as possible to make sure the meet runs smoothly (no pun intended). As a volunteer, you could be on the track with the athletes, helping them before the races, clocking the times and more!
The meet will start at 8 a.m. at Exeter High School. There are two morning shifts, one that leaves PEA at 7:30 and another at 10:30. We will have Red Dragons at Tan Lane for transportation, will supply breakfast for the volunteers and will stop at Dunkin’ Donuts with the first shift. We especially need volunteers for the ball throw, where athletes will be measuring and recording the distances, as well as explaining the rules to the athletes. We also need volunteers to record the long jumps, time events (running races, walking races and wheelchair races) and cook at the barbecue throughout the morning. Most of the meet will be wrapped up by noon; only the relay events will continue past then, until around 1:30 p.m. We will leave Exeter High School shortly after these finish. Volunteers can sign up for the 7:30 shift or the 10:30 shift, and if they choose, can also stay throughout the entire morning for both. It will be great fun to work with the special needs athletes, and, without your help, they wouldn’t be able to have this day, which is so special to them. They have been training and looking forward to this Sunday for a while, so it would mean the world to them if you could come and make it possible.
We would also love to see the track team show up, as they are role models for these athletes. Running and track fanatics, this is the event you should be at this weekend. Tell your dorm, tell your friends, tell your team—this is going to be amazing.
If you want to make a big impact on the local community, specifically the special needs community, please don’t hesitate to sign up. Volunteering for Special Olympics embodies the spirit of ESSO by bringing together the Exeter community. In a short span of time, you can make a lasting change. You will leave the Exeter bubble for a morning to help out with a cause that could not happen without you. Without volunteers, the track meet would be impossible to manage. Additionally, last year the volunteers were allowed to bring back the extra food and drinks from the food tent!
If you wish to sign up or have any questions, please email Francis Baviera at fbaviera@exeter.edu or Grace Huang at gyhuang@exeter.edu.