The University of Northwestern's third annual Special Olympics basketball event was held on Sunday, December 7th with both the Flames and Highland Friendship Club teams from Special Olympics Minnesota participating. The afternoon was hosted by Northwestern's Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the men's and women's basketball teams.

The event began with UNW's basketball teams running clinics for an hour, showing Special Olympics athletes drills that Northwestern conducts during a typical practice. Four different stations featured various skills such as ball-handling, passing, and shooting. Following the clinics, the entire group played in a giant game of lightening followed by a Cupid Shuffle dance party, one of the favorite traditions of the event. The second half consisted of an official game, including student athlete referees, scorekeepers, and a PA announcer.
 
Tyler Cate, a senior at Northwestern, has made a positive impact on the event for the past two years, adding a professional element for the athletes with his experience as a radio broadcast associate for the Minnesota Timberwolves. While announcing line-ups, Cate included fun facts about each individual athlete, personalizing their game-day experience. "My favorite part of the event is the smiling faces of the competing athletes," said Cate. "I did my best to make the athletes feel like they were performing on the biggest stage, like it was the NBA Finals. Hopefully the athletes will look back on the game and remember being announced like a professional, seeing and hearing fans with signs with their name on it. It's their chance to be star, and I love being a part of it."
 
One of the highlights of the night was the buzzer-beater basket, which put the game into overtime, resulting in the gym erupting with applause. Over 65 student athletes were present for the event either participating in the clinics and game or cheering from the sides. With personalized signs for each athlete, the fan section brought their A game for cheering for either the Flames or Highland Friendship Club teams.  "I can't thank the students enough for dedicating the time to come out and watch the game," said Cate. "Those students could've been studying, working, or spending time the way they want to. Instead, they helped make an amazing day for these athletes."
 
The head coach of the Flames, Patsy Eull, described in her own words what UNW's event meant to her athletes:

"The Flames Special Olympic team consists of 95 athletes and we are limited to 10 for this event.  As soon as I sent the information out, my phone started ringing. It has become a race to be one of the first ten to RSVP.  This is how popular this basketball event is and the environment that the UNW students have created is like no other I've seen. They exemplify what unified Special Olympic sports is all about. The result of their volunteer efforts enables our athletes to gain self-confidence and builds a strong self-image. Sunday was definitely a very special and memorable day for each and every one of them.  An example of this is what one young man named Steven experienced. Steven has been playing basketball for three years, and up until last Sunday, he had never scored a point in a game. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the smile on his face when his shot swished through the net."

Northwestern's senior basketball player Thomas Shephard who served as the emcee for the day said, "It's always great to see familiar faces from the teams each year. Having them come up to you and remember your name is such a humbling experience. We can learn a lot from the attitudes of the athletes and how they come out with such joy." Shephard had the opportunity to go with some UNW students and visit a few of the athletes at their flag football state championship game earlier this fall. "Investing in those relationships off-campus is what the NCAA's partnership with Special Olympics is all about."