Endicott Participates in the Jolly Jaunt
DANVERS, Mass.- On Sunday, December 2nd, members of the Endicott College athletics department took part in the Jolly Jaunt in Danvers, Mass. The event, which was put on by the Special Olympics of Massachusetts (SOMA), provides a 5K road race/walk in which participants raise money to benefit local Special Olympic athletes.
DANVERS, Mass.- On Sunday, December 2nd, members of the Endicott College athletics department took part in the Jolly Jaunt in Danvers, Mass. The event, which was put on by the Special Olympics of Massachusetts (SOMA), provides a 5K road race/walk in which participants raise money to benefit local Special Olympic athletes.
Over 40 members of the Endicott community participated in the event in some capacity. The softball team, which raised $371.00, walked the 5K course and stayed with the children afterwards to hang out and entertain them. 22 players, as well as assistant coach Mark Kulakowski, enjoyed the experience. “This was the first time the Endicott Softball team participated in the event, and it was a great experience for the entire team. We work the concession stands at all of the home events hosted at Endicott so we put a jar in front of the stand asking for people to donate. Our fans were extremely helpful in making our fundraising for this event a success,” stated senior Byrne Katz. Katz, a two year captain, went on to say, “The Jolly Jaunt is a well-known event on the North Shore and one to which many people are eager to donate. Our favorite part of the event was the registration area. It gave us an opportunity to interact with other participants and see how this organization means to so many people. After showing up in the parking lot with one of our coaches dressed as Santa, we knew it was going to be a fun day. The organizers of this event did a great job and the team is looking forward to going back next year!”
The athletic training contingent of 23 students was led by head athletic trainer Kevin Rooney, who is in his eighth year at Endicott. Rooney and the students have been involved with the Jolly Jaunt for the last five years and it goes hand in hand with their participation in the Life Choices program. “Because of our relationship with the Life Choices group, I thought the Jolly Jaunt event was another opportunity for our Endicott Athletic Training students to support yet another great cause and organization,” stated Rooney. “There is no real true benefit to our students for this event, other than the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve just helped a great cause and potentially assisted in making someone’s Special Olympics experience that much better.” Each of the past five years has seen an increase in the number of student athletic trainers participating. “Five years ago we began with roughly 10 and now, this year, we had 23 volunteers. The students spent the day setting up tables, putting out food, and monitoring both the 1K kids’ fun run and 5K road race. The students worked very hard but also shared many laughs. It was a great day and we hope to be back again next year.”
Senior women’s volleyball player Ashley Norley, who is completing a semester-long internship with the Special Olympics Massachusetts North Section, also participated in the event. Norley, along with another intern, were in charge of collecting donations from local businesses as well as preparation for the event. To date, the event has raised over $75,000 through its over 1,200 participants and generous donors. Norley mentioned that there was also a surprise visit by Santa, as he was able to make the trip down before his busy season and listened to the athletes tell them their Christmas wishes. “This whole semester, my internship has really been leading to this one day,” said Norley. “It was great to see all the hard work and generosity come to fruition and for the kids to be able to have so much fun on a day that is all about them. Out of my three internships over my time at Endicott, this one definitely proved to be the most rewarding at the end.”