UMW Athletics Cheer Special Olympians

UMW athletes got behind competitors in the Special Olympics Fun Run on Campus Walk in October. Not only did the UMW students boost the spirits of the athletes, they made new friends and helped send more than $5,000 to Special Olympics Virginia. Photos by Clint Often.

More than 350 UMW student-athletes lined the course and cheered for runners in the Run with the Law 5K and Special Olympics Fun Run Oct. 22. The UMW athletic department and the Fredericksburg City Police co-hosted the event, which raised more than $5,000 for Special Olympics Virginia.

Compliments, ovations, and smiles made the runners feel “extra special,” said Carrie Dyer, Special Olympics Virginia director of development. Several Mary Washington students accompanied some of the 75 Special Olympians throughout the race.

“I was truly blown away by the support of the UMW athletes,” Dyer said.

After a 5K run, President Richard V. Hurley welcomed everyone to campus. The final event was the Fun Run, which began at the William M. Anderson Center, stretched to the bell tower, and doubled back. UMW athletes sporting special event T-shirts lined the course and showed their support.

UMW men’s basketball coach Rod Wood, who helped organize the event, hopes it will become a campus tradition. He’s happy that the run raised funds for Special Olympics, he said, but there were greater benefits from the race.

“That pales in comparison to the reward our athletes, coaches, and UMW community received from the special friends we met, encouraged, and shared with on Saturday. This will be a lifelong memory for all of us,” Wood said. “It really puts in perspective what we do and what we, as a community, can do. We changed lives this weekend – mostly ours.”