Special Olympics 2014

Cameron Dowd '18, Hannah Miller '18 and Anna Landgren'18 cheer on a team

Sam Ober '16 and James Vassallo '16 offer high fives to Kyle

On Sunday, October 5th over 40 soccer teams (some from as far away as Cape Cod and Amherst) arrived on Pingree campus to compete in the Seasonal Assessment Round for the 2015 Special Olympics. The athletes, coaches, friends and family were greeted by seventy-five Pingree volunteers who kept score, set up nets, and - most importantly - cheered on the athletes.

Special thanks are due to our student leaders Cassidy Assad, Kirby Heffrin, Susie Polese, and Mollie Smith, and to the Hamilton Police Department who provided a Color Guard for opening ceremonies (during which Pingree Spectrum performed a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner). 

Please enjoy the pictures and student comments below. 

Hamilton Color Guard

"The vibe of the day was outstanding. Every athlete was so excited to be there and play. All volunteers were so helpful and enthusiastic!"

"The Special Olympics is one of my favorite days of the year. Just watching the kids/teens enjoying their days playing soccer and their faces while they receive their trophy is amazing. Everyone seems to have such a great time. Meeting the people is so much fun bc you learn so much about them and they're always such a blast to hang out with."

Grace Beatty '17 poses with one of Heller's Angels

"The team known as the Cardinals are a phenomenal group of people. They are kind and generous and it was a pleasure to work with them while they competed during their games."

Matt St. Clair '15 provides on-field coaching for Alex

"I really enjoyed Special Olympics, I spoke to some of the athletes and their parents before the games started. I cheered for teams and really enjoyed how positive and energetic the athletes and parents were regardless of how they were playing. Everyone was happy to be there giving that day a happy, laid back kind of feel."
"I had an amazing experience at the Special Olympics. I was cheering on all the athletes and became close with some of them. I am looking forward to doing it again next year."