Special Olympics

Ben and I volunteered with Special Olympics this past weekend and spent both Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Central Texas Area Basketball Tournament in San Marcos. About 470 athletes participated this year, and everybody had a great time! Ben spent most of the weekend refereeing the games, and I worked the check-in table . Although I have always worked the check-in table in the past, this event was by far the most fun. I loved that my table was located directly in the center of the whole event (with gyms on both sides of me), which enabled me to interact with and meet so many of the athletes. Never before I have ever received so many hugs, handshakes, and smiles, and never before have I ever made so many friends in just a matter of two days. Unfortunately, I know that I will never be able to remember all of their names, but there are a few that I will never forget.

Kevin stopped by our table multiple times, and at one point, he asked us to call his mom to make sure that she was on her way. He asked us to tell her that he loved her, and he later explained to us that he loves his mom more than anyone else in the world. Alvin also stopped by our table several times during the day, and each time, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I explained to him that I was married but that I could be his friend, but I got to give him credit -- he was persistent! Matthew works at CampMabry and knows more facts about history and sports than anyone I've ever met. When he met Ben, he introduced himself using his full name and then asked Ben for his. Later that day, he asked Ben if he had "a 512 phone number", but Ben never thought that he'd actually remember it. Late that night, Ben received a phone call from a number that he didn't recognize. Guess who? When Ben answered, Matthew asked, "Do you know who this is?" He then proceeded to tell him that he had found him on Facebook as well.

I know that most of my new friends might not remember me at the next event (I have a feeling that they are this social everywhere they go!), but I can't wait to see them again. Spring Games (a.k.a. track and field) are scheduled for April 23-24, and I'm already counting down the days. If you would like to volunteer with us -- either at Spring Games or sometime in the future, please let me know. I guarantee that you will love it!