Awarded annually by the Special Olympics Fall Festival Management Team to the committee member who not only dedicates himself or herself completely to the success of the weekend, but also constantly displays the most outstanding interaction and genuine relationships with the athletes.

Mark A. Sirolli

Mark Sirolli '01, an English major from Hammington, NJ, constantly served as an inspiration for his friends and fellow students.  He was a favorite of all the Special Olympics athletes, and every singly athlete at the Powerlifting venue knew and loved him.  Mark was the 1999 Powerlifting Chairperson, and the 2000 Director of Competition. Mark was involved in several Campus Ministry programs, Orientation, Road Day, Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Campus Activities Team, and Habitat for Humanity.

Tragically, on April 13, 2001 - just one month before graduation - Mark was killed in a motorcycle accident in Winslow, NJ, near his home.

"Mark was everything we'd want a Villanova student to be.  He had a brilliant mind and was so deeply involved in many aspects of campus and worked with school children from the inner city," noted the Rev. John P. Stack, O.S.A., Vice President for Student Life.

In addition to this award given annually by the Fall Festival Management Team, the Villanova Student Government Association also named an annual philanthropic basketball tournament in Mark's name.