There are various things that I am passionate about, but one of the most significant is the equality amongst all people, including those with and without disabilities. I am very involved in the advocacy for mental health and disability issues and am a part of various clubs and organizations that demonstrate the awareness for these topics. Recently, I volunteered my time at the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament that my college hosted. For those who are unaware, Special Olympics is an organization which hosts events for athletes with intellectual disabilities, giving them the opportunity to compete against one another and develop friendships while taking part in various different sports training and athletic games. Volunteering my time is something that I do willingly, with no expectation of praise or recognition because the act of helping and the smiles that I see upon everyone’s face gives me a significant amount of happiness and gratification in itself. I applaud anyone who volunteers their time to organizations like the Special Olympics; however, what frustrates me is when people forget who the event is meant to be for, and the reason why they are doing what they are doing.

Every Monday, the college I attend sends out a morning update summarizing important news or events that occurred the past week. as well as significant things that are upcoming for that week. One of the updates was, of course, highlighting the Special Olympics Tournament that was held. I had not even checked my email yet and my roommate looked over at me and said, “Caitlin did you read the morning update about the Special Olympics event?” She had a sound of concern in her voice, so I knew it was going to be something that would bother me. The update summarized the event and gave a rundown of what happened that day. The last line of the update read, “To learn how committed our student-athletes are to the event, watch this short video." Of course, I had to watch the video and that just set me off the edge.

Before I continue I want to make one thing clear to you, I have the utmost respect for athletes and the dedication and hard work that they put into their teams and the positive environment on campus. By no means do I think that these student athletes should have their recognition taken away; however, the meaning behind the event is being overtaken by the student-athletes who volunteered their time at the event. This event and more importantly the organization of Special Olympics as a whole, was created for athletes with intellectual disabilities, enabling them to have opportunities that those without disabilities experience. It is their day, their time to shine, and their moment of recognition for overcoming the obstacles they face every day in order to take part in something they love. This day was not about the dedication of the student-athletes of this university and the time they volunteered. They receive recognition in many other ways, and I believe it was wrong and inappropriate to highlight them over the individuals whom the event was created for.

The video featured various athletes from the university talking about why it is good to volunteer at events like this and dedicate their time to such causes. I understand that this is the angle they chose to go with this specific event, however, shouldn’t the video have focused on the athletes and the amazing time they had at the tournament that day? Don’t they deserve just as much recognition as the ones who helped make it possible? There would be no Special Olympics without these athletes who have disabilities, so shouldn’t they be the feature of this Monday Morning Update? As I said, I have nothing against student-athletes; however, I do have something against the over appraisal of them for doing something like donating their time to a cause such as the Special Olympics, especially if it was a requirement for them to do so.

I consider myself an advocate for people with disabilities and as an advocate, it is my duty to stand up for things I believe in. So this is what I am doing by writing this article to you all, I am raising awareness and voicing my opinion in hopes to open up the eyes of those who are ignorant to these issues. I do not believe in people volunteering their time for all of the wrong reasons. If you do not see anything wrong with the way this event was highlighted, then I certainly respect your opinion. Personally, I believe that little things like this can lead to bigger issues and that is why in order to make a change we must make it known that a problem exists in the first place. Volunteering for others is an amazing act of kindness; however, in the process, we can not forget the reason why we are volunteering. To begin with, which in this case, was to enable those just as capable as any other athlete despite the challenges they face to take part in an amazing day full of endless opportunities.