PEARL, Miss. - The Belhaven University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) helped partner with Special Olympics  Mississippi, Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi, and the Mississippi Hawks to organize and support a Unified Softball Night for Special Olympics Athletes last Wednesday.

The game was a chance to serve people with special needs in the community by creating an opportunity for them to complete and play in an organized softball game. Members of Belhaven SAAC helped facilitate the event and serve as cheerleaders for the competing athletes with Shawn Mitchell-Harvard and Colton Sylvester, both members of SAAC and the Belhaven Baseball team, serving as the game's umpires.

"I loved being able to be on the field and interacting with the kids", said Sylvester. "It was fun to be able to contribute to hopefully a memorable experience for them on a baseball field." 

The event was an opportunity for leaders within the Belhaven community to make impact on others within the Jackson-Metro community. "Getting to cheer on the kids in such a fun atmosphere was a blast", said Women's Soccer SAAC representative Lauren Snell. "It was awesome to see the community show out and have such a great time."

The event which took place last week, is hoped to be the start of a continued partnership between Belhaven Athletics and the Special Olympics Mississippi. 

"This Unified Softball Night was a great start to an exciting partnership between Belhaven SAAC and Special Olympics Mississippi", said Belhaven SAAC Advisor Ben Owens. "We were honored to serve alongside Special Olympics in offering individuals the chance to participate in organized sports that they might not typically have access to. Our SAAC representatives exemplified great leadership and were an awesome representation of Belhaven Athletics. We look forward to this continued partnership and the chance to serve our community with Special Olympics in the near future."

For more information on Special Olympics Mississippi, visit their website www.specialolympicsms.org/.



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