Special Olympics Heroes Project

I am raising money to provide superhero capes to the Nova Special Olympics Basketball Team as we head to the State Tournament on February 7.  I want the capes to remind the mentally disabled athletes that they are true heroes.  I know they’re heroes because I've played with them as a partner on the Special Olympics Unified Basketball Team for the past seven years. By just being themselves, the athletes have helped me in ways they will never know.  They inspire me to appreciate everything I have and are role models for how to treat other people and act because they are kind and generous to everyone.

Volunteering with my Special Olympics Unified basketball team isn’t just a fulfilling opportunity to help others while playing my favorite sport, it’s the one time when I get to disengage from the stresses of life and take a step back to appreciate the things I have. The athletes are so happy to be getting a chance to play, and they don’t take it for granted. It’s taught me to reflect on how fortunate I am for my health, athletic ability, and opportunities, and puts the challenges in my own life into perspective. When I’m playing with my Special Olympics teammates, I really get to express my compassion and my belief in helping people reach a goal they never thought possible. This year, my team won a quadruple overtime game to get to the state tournament. 

To give back to the Special Olympics organization that has given me so much, I have started the We Are All Heroes project. With We Are All Heroes, when our Nova Special Olympics basketball team arrives at the state tournament, each athlete on the team will be given a superhero cape as he or she leaves the bus. When this happens, I will play the Superman theme song and create an entire team of real-life superheroes with our Special Olympics athletes. The state tournament starts on February 7th, so we have three weeks to accomplish this goal. Each cape we give will make an athlete feel valued and let them know that they are heroes.

Every dollar you give is greatly appreciated.  Any additional money raised will be used to purchase more capes for more Special Olympics athletes or will be given directly to Special Olympics of Broward County to support their work.  Thank you so much for your donation.