PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Special Olympics North America partnered together to host a Unified Field Day and a Special Olympics basketball game at Plattsburgh State to celebrate Unified College Championship Week. Unified College Championship Week allows colleges and universities across the Special Olympics movement to take part in various activities to earn points to become champions.
 
This was the first time Plattsburgh State has participated in Unified College Championship week. SAAC representatives and women's soccer student-athletes Lauren Haley and Amanda Cohen were the Unified Championship Week Co-Captains and played a vital role in the event's success.
 
Haley and Cohen spoke about their reasons for wanting to be a part of Unified College Championship Week and what they were looking forward to. "We want to represent our place and be a part of the unified generation and are really excited to host two events," Haley said. Cohen said, "What she is looking forward to the most during Unified College Championship Week is meeting all the local athletes and bringing this opportunity to our campus."
 
With the collaboration of Special Olympics North America, Haley and Cohen brought this opportunity to the Plattsburgh State campus. Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Special Olympics paired with Plattsburgh State's SAAC, and athletic teams were allowed to do just that with their partnership in their Unified Field Day event and were both able to accomplish what they wanted.
 
The Plattsburgh State SAAC and Special Olympics North America's Unified Field Day was held this past Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Plattsburgh State Field House and featured activities such as cornhole, soccer, basketball, badminton, and more. SAAC representatives and student-athletes from various Plattsburgh State athletic teams were present at the events along with Leigh Howard, the Director of Unified Programs at Special Olympics, and her staff.
 
During Unified Field Day, Howard said, "It was really important for her to be in a position where she can help change people's lives for the better with sports.
 
One of the Unified athletes Kat said, "Inclusion to me means everyone being able to do what they want. It doesn't matter the disability or what they feel is different about themselves. Everyone being included playing soccer together and playing cornhole just like everyone else gets to do. We are all in this together."
 
"Special Olympics is an awesome organization. It brings the community together and I'm really happy that we finally got to bring it to our campus," said Cohen.
 
Plattsburgh State wrapped up the Unified College Championship with the Special Olympics basketball game. The Special Olympics basketball game was held Thursday, April 11, at 6 p.m. and it was a mix of Peru Unified athletes and Plattsburgh State athletes from various athletic teams. Haley and Cohen worked together with Howard and co-head coaches of Peru Unified Amy Dermody and Chris Burdash to put on this event.
 
"Unified Sports is an excellent spot where all kids can be involved. Disabilities or no disabilities," said Dermody, "It's a fun way to get the school involved and the kids who have disabilities really look up to the other players on the team."
 
Burdash said, "Athletes or non-athletes, we try to get the team equal with the athletes and partners. One of the most important things we do within our school is have an assembly game kind of like this. It gets the student body involved and raises awareness and it's about inclusion."
 
After the Special Olympics basketball game, Peru Unified athlete Kendra James said, "Unified Sports to us means absolutely everyone gets involved at all times. The game is so much fun, and we get so much hype with everybody being included all around."
 
The Special Olympics basketball game concluded the Plattsburgh State SAAC events for Unified College Championship Week. After the last event for Unified College Championship Week, Haley said, "This was my first Unified College Championship Week and I'm so grateful we were able to bring Special Olympics to Plattsburgh State. Unified College Championship isn't only a week-long event, but a movement. Everyone should have an opportunity to come out and play what they love," said Haley, "I want to say a huge thank you to all those who came out and made this week incredible."  
 
To conclude Unified College Championship Week, Cohen said, "I'm super glad that we were able to bring Special Olympics and unified events to Plattsburgh State for Unified College Championship Week. It was nice to see the excitement it brought to our athletes and all the participants."
 
Plattsburgh State athletes along with Special Olympics North America staff held great events that allowed a community that isn't always a part of sports to be included with their respective teams whether the Plattsburgh State athletes were participating in sports or cheering on the athletes and supporting from the stands. 
 
Both events were huge successes and allowed the Plattsburgh community to come together and celebrate Unified College Championship Week. You can find highlights of the Unified Field Day and Special Olympics basketball game on Instagram @plattsathletics.