Gusties Support Special Olympics Minnesota Posted on February 17th, 2012 by

Gustavus students Coby Rowley, Evan Odean, Ben Ceder, Lee Kenyon, and Annie Jackson take the plunge at Lake Hallett (photo by Kurt Hildebrandt).

Dozens of Gustavus Adolphus College students turned out for two events on Feb. 11-12 to support Special Olympics Minnesota.

A large number of Gustavus students including student-athletes, athletic trainers, and members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity participated in the Polar Plunge event at Lake Hallett on Saturday, Feb. 11. Together, the Gustavus group raised more than $3,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota.

“We decided to do the plunge because it seemed like a fun way to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota,” Gustavus student Coby Rowley said. “Although we knew the jump was going to be a cold one, it was well worth it in the end.”

On Sunday, Feb. 12, more than 400 Special Olympics athletes came together at Lund Center. The day’s events included a swim meet, individual basketball skills, a basketball tournament, and a power lifting competition.

From athletic teams to sororities and fraternities, a large number of volunteers from across the Gustavus community devoted their time to making the event run as smooth as possible.

“The welcoming atmosphere of Gustavus really made all the difference. The Special Olympics athletes from all over southern Minnesota had a great time and were very enthused to be working with our students,” Gustavus women’s hockey player Lindsey Hjelm said. “The basketball teams were especially helpful officiating many of the games, while the swim team did a wonderful job orchestrating the swim meet in the pool.”

The Gustavus Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) also made a huge impact at the event, dedicating their entire day towards training volunteers and making the event run smoothly.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

 

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