DANVILLE, Va. – Averett University Athletics hosted the Special Olympics Regional Basketball Tournament on Sunday for the third consecutive year.
 
The partnership with the Special Olympics is something that has grown over time as Averett's student-athletes have also worked with the bowling league and track and field.
 
"The relationship as a whole is excellent. With the Special Olympics prospects being pretty consistent, you see the students build relationships with them over the course of the last few years," said Philip Wilson, the athletics department community service chair and the head coach of Averett's men's soccer team.
 
"With the athletes being exposed to this environment, I think it reignites their passion for their respective sport," Wilson said.
 
Along with the Averett student-athletes and staff who worked the event, the Dan River High School band also joined in on the festivities to give the participants a game-like atmosphere.
 
Members of the men's basketball team served as referees and scorekeepers at the tournament as they've done in recent years, giving them a hands-on experience and making the event a special experience for everyone. They even played against one of the teams.
 
"The Special Olympics definitely creates a very different atmosphere," said TJ McAllister, a sophomore men's basketball player. "It was a different experience for me and my teammates, and it's always fun to make a difference in someone else's life. I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind doing it again."
 
Averett takes pride in its involvement with the community as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has won several national and conference service awards in the past two years. But for Averett student-athletes, coaches, and staff members, it's about more than community service. It's about having the chance to impact the lives of others and create experiences that participants won't forget.
 
"Everyone involved in the event had nothing but high praises for our student-athletes and the facilities," Wilson said.