R-MC Set to Host Hoops Tournament

Yellow Jackets and Special Olympics Virginia Will Host Over 30 Teams in Ashland

ASHLAND, Va. --- The Randolph-Macon College Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Special Olympics Virginia, will host the 2012 James River Regional Basketball Tournament on February 12th on R-MC’s campus.

The one-day event will take place at both Randolph-Macon’s Crenshaw Gym and Brock Center in Ashland.  The event will feature over 30 teams from around the region taking part in both full-court and half-court games along with skills competition, all hoping to advance to the Special Olympics Virginia Basketball State Championships in March.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m., with the opening ceremonies, and will conclude at approximately 5:00 p.m.  Immediately following the final games of the day, Randolph-Macon student-athletes will host the Olympians for a post tournament dance in R-MC’s Alumni Gym.

Randolph-Macon’s Chartwells Catering services will serve as the event’s title sponsor and give free meals to all the Olympians in attendance.

Those interested in volunteering for the event operations, should contact R-MC’s Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, Caitlin Moore, at 804-752-7366.

As part of the event, there is a need for “Volunteers to Cheer”.  Fans are welcome to cheer for an hour – or all day – either way, we promise you will see that our athletes are deserving of your applause and support because, when people encounter individuals with intellectual disabilities in the positive arena of sport, stereotypes are dispelled.  So, join us and Volunteer to Cheer! For more information, please contact Tina Andes at tandes@specialolympicsva.org or 804-726-3032.  To “Volunteer to Cheer,” visit www.volunteer2cheer.com and sign up today!

R-MC, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) as a whole and Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) entered into an official partnership in June.  The affiliation between the two organizations is part of a NCAA Division III initiative that was put into place by the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the NCAA Convention in January of 2011.

The purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes.

Through this partnership, Division III student-athletes across the country will be encouraged to participate in existing Special Olympics events, create their own events, or otherwise serve to support Special Olympics organization. The activities pursued by student-athletes will vary in each state and region, tailored to best utilize the student-athletes' time and local resources.

Service activities with Special Olympic athletes could range from sports clinics to bowling, pizza parties or fundraising efforts.

This partnership provides the opportunity for student-athletes to engage with Special Olympics and collaborate with existing student-led programs on campus. 

---This release is courtesy of the Randolph-Macon College sports information department. ---
www.rmc.edu/athletics