Green Wave Players Reach Out at Special Olympics
Jun 20, 2002 | Football
June 20, 2002
While many student-athletes spend their summers at home, working summer jobs or even playing for a summer-league team, members of the Tulane football team take time during the summer to participate in community service activities. One organization that has become special to the Green Wave football team over the last four years is the Special Olympics.
Over the past month, the Green Wave continued its involvement with the Special Olympics by sending student-athletes to both the Jefferson Parish Special Olympics and to the State Summer Games.
First, in late April, offensive lineman Seth Zaunbrecher and linebacker Terry Fontenot attended the Jefferson Parish competition, where they assisted the athletes in their competitions, such as the shot put, as the Special Olympians qualified for the State Games.
In late May a group of approximately eight players, including Roxie Shelvin, Marlon Tickles, Wesley Heath, Brandon Spincer, Brant Hocke, Floyd Dorsey, Quentin Brown and Lonnie Crayton, traveled to Hammond for the Louisiana State Games. At the event, the Green Wave players took part in "Olympic Town" an area where the Special Olympians go between events to hang out and take part in fun activities.
During their time at the Special Olympics, the Tulane players signed and gave away over 350 media guides and posters.
"I love working with kids and the Special Olympics is definitely my favorite community service event," said defensive lineman Roxie Shelvin, a veteran of the Special Olympics experience. "It's fun. You might have a lot of things to do, but when you take the time to go, it is well worth it. The kids are wonderful and it makes their day that we are taking time to be there. When you sign an autograph or talk to them, their faces light up. They feel happy, and it makes you feel happy when you leave. It's a good feeling."
In addition to the Special Olympics, several Green Wave football players spent a recent Saturday helping to the paint the cafeteria at Colton Middle School in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. During the school year, groups of football players often speak at area middle and elementary schools. Players also take part in Tulane community service activities, including distributing trash cans on neighboring Broadway Street earlier in the spring semester and the Athletic Department's "Shadow A Student Athlete Day".
Shelvin, a senior from Franklin, La. says that he is ready to participate anytime, especially when the activity involves kids.
"Whenever Hunter (Higgins, Tulane Football Operations Director who coordinates football community service activities) needs me to do it, I'm right there," he said. "You know, as college athletes, we look up to people in the NBA or NFL. These kids look up to us like that. It's a great feeling."
