1,200 Athletes to Compete at Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival at Villanova University
14^th Annual Event Runs November 1-3

(Norristown, PA, September 23) - Approximately 1,200 athletes and 200 coaches representing 43 counties will participate at the 2002 Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) Fall Festival at Villanova University in Villanova, PA, November 1-3.  This is the fourteenth consecutive year that the campus is hosting the event, which features three days of intense competition in bocce, long distance running/walking, powerlifting, roller skating, soccer and volleyball. 

Special Olympics athletes from the following counties will compete:  Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, DuBois, Elk, Erie, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York.

Opening Ceremonies will be held in the Pavilion on Villanova's campus on Friday night.  Highlights include the traditional Parade of Athletes and lighting of the Special Olympics torch.  Sunday afternoon's Closing Ceremonies will feature the debut of a Fall Festival highlights video and parting words from a Special Olympics athlete speaker.

Fall Festival draws 2,000 volunteers from the Villanova student body and the surrounding Main Line community to serve as officials, athlete escorts and award presenters, as well as to provide administrative support services. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the Special Olympics Pennsylvania office at (800) 235-9058 or the Villanova campus Special Olympics office at (610) 519-7244.