What is Strides?

Strides is a 5K Race (3.1 mile) around the campus of Villanova University to benefit the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival. Each year over 500 participants take part in the event. The theme for the 2009 race is: "Making Waves With STRIDES." We request a minimum $20 donation to participate, and all participants will receive a Strides t-shirt as well as a raffle ticket to win fantastic prizes.

When is it?

Strides for Special Olympics will take place on Wednesday, September 23rd at the Oreo at the center of the Villanova campus. Registration and check-in begins at 5pm and the race begins promptly at 6pm. You may sign-up the day of the event or register in advance online. Please note: Online registration closes at midnight of Tuesday, September 22.

What will my donation be used for?

The Fall Festival is the annual state-wide competition for Special Olympics Pennsylvania that is hosted by Villanova University.  This year's event will take place from November 6th-8th, as Villanova welcomes over 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities to campus.  Areas of competition include bocce, long distance running/walking, powerlifting, roller skating, soccer, and volleyball.  Come to the Pavilion Friday evening for the inspiring Opening Ceremonies, and be sure to visit the Quad on Saturday and Sunday, as it is transformed into Olympic Town - a street festival of entertainment for the athletes and families.

This year will mark Villanova's 21st consecutive year of hosting the Fall Festival, and the 31st anniversary of Special Olympics at Villanova.  The weekend costs several hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce.  Your donation to Strides helps to enable us to continue offering all competition and other opportunities free of charge to the athletes and their families, which allows everyone to experience the benefits of Special Olympics that extend well beyond the playing field.  Thanks for your kindness and generosity!

For more information, contact our Fundraising committee in the Special Olympics Office at 610.519.7244 or at fundraising@villanovaspo.com.

Thank you for your continued support of the Fall Festival!

Special Olympics Office l 215 Dougherty Hall l 800 Lancaster Ave l Villanova, PA 19085 l (610) 519-7244 l info@villanovaspo.com