Rollin’ with the Lucas County Special Olympians

Abigail Sullivan

Anna Glore, Staff Reporter

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The University of Toledo’s Zeta Phi Eta hit the bowling lanes this past Saturday, Sept. 24, at New Glass Bowl Lanes for a cause that is big not only in the Toledo area, but throughout the country as well.

Lucas County Special Olympics partnered with the communication fraternity in order to raise funds for the organization.

Hannah Kessler, Zeta Phi Eta curator of the event, said that it was enjoyable planning an event that was helping such a good cause.

“Special Olympics is our philanthropy,” Kessler said. “We chose it because our adviser is actually a track coach for the Special Olympics team, their track team. That inspired us, and we thought it was a great cause. It has a lot of opportunity for us to volunteer,” Kessler said.

This was the first year that Zeta Phi Eta has ever hosted the bowling event, and proceeds raised are going toward an even larger event.

Kessler said that the money raised is to go toward jerseys for the Special Olympic athletes who will playing in the Unity Bowl, a flag football game on Nov. 5 in which UT students and Special Olympians alike will be participating.

Kelly Watson, a member of the Lucas County Special Olympics, also participated in Saturday’s bowling event.

“I like the opportunity of seeing our athletes happy and having fun. I get to see them at their best,” Watson said. “There’s nothing about my job I don’t like, I’ll be honest.”

Watson said she is hopeful that through this event, and others coming up, that the Special Olympics and UT will become more unified, as far as athletics goes.

“I’m hoping that we’ll be able to do this as a yearly thing,” Watson said. “We’re hoping this gives an opportunity to Special Olympics to work with the university in getting some unified sports started.”

This collaboration is important to Zeta Phi Eta members as well, who say that the Special Olympics plays a very large role in their lives.

“Special Olympics is a special organization to us,” said Elliot Free, senior vice president of Zeta Phi Eta. “We’ve been partnered with them since our organization was formed, about three and a half years ago. We just enjoy being around the athletes; we enjoy volunteering because it makes us feel special. We enjoy watching them excel.”

Similarly, Kessler said that she loves giving back to the organization, not only to raise money, but to give the athletes the experience they deserve and to help them have a good time.

And have a good time they did, according to Matt Hemmert, a Special Olympics lifter.

Matt Hemmert said that it was his first time doing the bowling event, but he had a lot of fun and loved having Zeta Phi Eta there with them.
Hemmert also shared a bit of his Special Olympics experience as well.

“I’m a lifter for the Special Olympics,” Hemmert said. “You go out of state every year and you do bench, dead lift, everything. Every Tuesday I go to practice and do a little bit of bench and everything.”

Hemmert said that he has won both silver and bronze medals, and plans to add a gold to the collection very soon.

Zeta members and Watson both are encouraging anyone who is willing to volunteer to go out and do so.

“Get involved, volunteer for the Special Olympics; they need as many volunteers as they can get,” Free said. “It’s a great group of athletes. They’re all around Lucas County,” Free said.

Watson also said that just by going to their website or visiting the Lucas County Special Olympics Facebook page, one is just clicks away from becoming a volunteer.

Kessler said there will also be a Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser coming up soon to raise money for the Unity Bowl, which will be held on Nov. 5. Details for this event are to be announced at a later date.

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Rollin’ with the Lucas County Special Olympians