Ferris State Basketball Squads Team Up To Raise Funds For Special Olympics Athletes
Photo Gallery 
Video Interview - Coach Westendorp 
Video Interview - Ally Schultz
Replay Of Live Stream
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's basketball squads teamed up again for an important cause on Tuesday (April 15) night, helping raise significant funds during the 19th annual Charity Heart-to-Heart, Hand-in-Hand Unified Special Olympics Benefit Game held at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.
The Bulldog squads teamed up to help raise funds for the local Special Olympics program in an event organized and sponsored by the Sports Communication Program at FSU. It was endorsed as a "Great Game for a Great Cause" and donations were accepted at the door along with a variety of auction items and a raffle.
The FSU student-athletes were split into two competing teams made up of both Bulldog men's and women's players along with local Special Olympics Area 5 athletes. Ferris State Women's Basketball coaches Kurt Westendorp and Mallory McCartney served as coaches for the two squads along with members of their team.
This year marked the 19th time that the game was be played in front of the FSU fans and the student body. All proceeds raised at the event annually go to the Area 5 Special Olympians.
During the evening activities, Special Olympians mixed with men and women from Ferris State's basketball squads to play for fun and glory and to raise funds to support Special Olympians from the area to attend Special Olympics events in Michigan and the region.
Along with the basketball game, spectators also had the opportunity to enjoy halftime activities, including a dunk contest by Ferris State student-athletes featuring celebrity judges.
The event has served as a way for the Area 5 Special Olympians, who often attend Ferris State athletic events, to interact and join the players on the court and physically be part of a team. It gives Special Olympians an opportunity to be in the spotlight and play alongside the Bulldog athletes they watch and follow all season long.
The game featured evenly-divided teams between the Olympians and the Ferris State men and women's teams with the "Bulldogs" team taking on the "Scrappy Dawgs" in a tightly-contested battle.
"Our players love playing in this game every year and being teammates with the Special Olympics athletes," said Westendorp. "It is a great experience for our own student-athletes as well and we enjoy taking part in this game. It was an outstanding night once again."
The event dates back to 2005 and presently the Sports Careers registered student organization on the FSU campus, along with sports communication program students, promotes and organizes the event in conjunction with the Area 5 basketball athletes and the Special Olympics College Club.
Special Olympics is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to build self-confidence and social skills through sports.