Grade 10 Students Help Host Special Olympics State Qualifying Tournament

 

More than 20 teams across several divisions descended upon Winter Street early Sunday morning where more than 90 Rivers students were already hard at work making sandwiches, hanging signs, setting up scoreboards, pumping up balls, and preparing for what was sure to be an action-packed day of basketball. Leading the way were Courtney Day ’18, Meghan Gazard ’18, and Marissa Tomaino ’18 who chose this event as the service portion of their RISE project, an integral part of the Grade 10 experience at Rivers.

 

“I’ve always had an interest in sports, especially basketball, so when I found out about this event I knew it was what I wanted to do for my RISE project,” Marissa said. “I’ve always been interested in working with people with special needs and this gave me an opportunity to do something new while also doing something I know a lot about.”

 

The trio of girls – all two- or three-sport varsity athletes themselves – kicked off the day with an Opening Ceremony in Benson Gymnasium that featured the iconic Olympic torch, recognition of each and every team, and a wonderful rendition of the national anthem by members of the Rivers a cappella group, Riverberations.

 

Once the games were declared open, the athletes spread out over three courts in Benson Gymnasium and Haffenreffer Gymnasium for their opening games. Rivers students could be found running the scoreboard, providing play-by-play commentary, and enthusiastically cheering on the athletes from the sidelines while they battled for spots in the Massachusetts State Tournament.

 

Elsewhere on campus, more students were preparing bagged lunches in the Campus Center or helping athletes pass the time between games with activities in Hutton Commons. Here, Marissa met one athlete named Elizy and the pair absolutely hit it off.

 

“We were making Valentines Day cards for veterans and after about five minutes we exchanged phone numbers,” Marissa recalls. “We text every couple days and she’ll say something like ‘hi best friend! What are you doing today?!’ and we just talk. The experience of working one on one with these kids and making that connection with her was the best part of the whole day.”

 

The RISE Program, which stands for Reflection and Introspection through Service Education, is a yearlong program for personal growth and leadership development with a focus on service and community. While Courtney, Meghan, and Marissa’s project came to life last Sunday, many other projects will continue to spring up throughout the next few months, culminating on RISE Day on May 16.