Greek Week Athletic Games presents a feel for Special Olympics competing
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In the midst of Greek Week, competition was at an all-time high as the Greek community faced off in McGuirk Arena for the Athletic Games.
On Wednesday, 10 teams, each consisting of nine sorority and nine fraternity members, competed in four games: A relay, tug-of-war, dodgeball and wheelchair basketball.
Greek Week Co-Chair and Grand Blanc senior Harrison Coleman said the four games were customized to represent the Special Olympics.
“This year we took a unique approach to present real athletic games in the Special Olympics, our chosen philanthropy,” he said. “We wanted to incorporate what the athletes do, which is why we had wheelchair basketball and a relay.”
The event used a process of elimination, leading up to a final game.
The relay kicked off the event allowing all 10 teams to participate, followed by Tug-of-War with eight teams competing, which led into two dodgeball games for four teams.
The winners of the dodgeball games faced off in the final event, a one-on-one wheelchair basketball game.
After strategically passing through each game, Sigma Chi and Delta Phi Epsilon vfaced winners Phi Sigma Sigma and Beta Theta Pi in the final game.
Participating in her first ever Greek Week Athletic Games, Grand Blanc junior Brittany Hargraves represented Phi Sigma Sigma on the court, bringing home the victory.
“I have played basketball for six years, but never like this," she said. "It was harder to maneuver in a wheelchair. It is all upper body strength. I love everything about Greek Week, it brings everyone together even though we are competing against one another.”
Despite the elimination process, the entire Greek community kept their spirits alive with nonstop cheers and chants.
“This event is a lot more competitive and there are more people competing," said Livonia senior Phi Sigma Sigma member Hannah Smith. "It was great to see support from the other fraternities and sororities tonight, even if they had been eliminated.”
Maine senior Blake Foster, Sigma Chi and Delta Phi Epsilon team member, said the Athletic Games provides an opportunity for all Greek members to come together for a great cause.
“Without Greek Week, people get set into their own social circles," Foster said." This allows us to be paired up and meet new people. Even with how competitive it is, it still is just fun and games and by Friday we get to hand over a big check to Special Olympics. This shows that there is much more to the Greek community than going to the bars (on) Thursday through Saturday, but that we do a lot more and as a group.”
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