“Let the games begin!”: Fieldston’s Special Olympics 2024

Editors’ Note: All photo sources go to the author, Lily Saal, and Dana Maxson

Athletes, clad in bright uniforms with names like Thunderbolts, Bronx Hornets and Brooklyn Knights, swarmed the breakfast table. Parent volunteers, in between chatting sessions, handled breakfast and the bake sale. Fieldston student volunteers, in their matching blue shirts, popped around as they all completed different tasks. It was 9 AM but, rather than shut tight for sleep, everyone’s eyes filled with excitement – Special Olympics had finally arrived.

History teacher Karen Drohan leads the Special Olympics club at Fieldston and works tirelessly for months: fundraising, sending school-wide newsletters, poster-making and more. Drohan explained why she’s so passionate about the cause: her daughter, Ava, who was diagnosed with severe learning disabilities in elementary school. In school, Ava joyfully participated in Special Olympics events. One day, she came home from school very upset. “She was crying and wouldn’t tell anybody why. She went into her room and closed the door. Whatever happened at school that day – mean kids saying mean things about her learning disabilities – she would not talk to her older sister or me,” Drohan paused from her story while her eyes teared up, something she swore happened every time. “We thought, ‘Oh ok. She cried herself to sleep,’ but then [Ava] came out of her bedroom wearing the ribbons she won in the Special Olympics and said, ‘I don’t know what I’m sad about. I’m a champion.” 

Drohan finished her story and watched that same daughter, now years beyond her Special Olympics days, cheerfully hand out beaded necklaces. With a smile, Drohan said, “That was the moment when I said I would give all of my money and all of my time to Special Olympics. I’ve given more time than money, but I will continue to do so.”

Because of Drohan’s enthusiasm, dozens of Fieldston students, from freshmen to seniors, volunteered. “I had Drohan as a teacher and loved her so much,” exclaimed Logan Farmer (Form V). Many other volunteers credited Drohan as their reason for signing up, including Reanna Bilbao (Form V), who shared, “The way Drohan talked about Special Olympics convinced me to start working with the club because she truly sounded so passionate. You could tell how much she loved it.”

The spectacular event began with opening ceremonies. Teams paraded around the Upper Field, with posters made by their team managers – Fieldston students, who led the teams around and became their #1 fans. Alex Bello (Form IV) sang the National Anthem, receiving raucous cheers from the bleachers and athletes on the field. After a reading of the Special Olympics pledge, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,” and the traditional running of the torch (joined by the Fieldston Eagle), Zoe Ventura (Form V) and Ela Garlin (Form VI) announced the words everyone had been waiting for: “Let the games begin!”

The field cleared, and competition fiercely began. Basketball athletes played their games in the Upper and JV gyms, and, in the pool, dubbed the “birdbath” by the Fieldston swim team, swimmers began their warm-ups. The stands filled with athletes not competing – who always cheered for their fellow athletes on the court and in the pool– volunteers waiting for their jobs and family members; As spectators raised posters and chanted, a symphony of cheers, whistles and trash-talk filled the air. 

In the JV gym, basketball athletes received a special treat: Amiri Moreno (Form VI) grabbed a mic and announced all of the games. When sitting in “the box,” with him, Moreno explained his commentary strategy: “Let the game heat up and pick your moments.” Moreno’s infectious energy on the mic translated onto the court, where players balled out. A member of the Manhattan Wildcats, Kenny “The Baller”, brightly explained why he loves the Special Olympics, and why he’s done it for the past 8 years: “I love competing and making friends, even my opponents.”

Newly added this year, in the yoga room, volunteers set up “Healthy Hearing.” Open to anyone, doctors and specialists checked participants’ ears, and, if needed, pure tone tests, which test for hearing damage. Dr. Lanthe Dunn-Murad ran the Healthy Hearing station at the Special Olympics and explained, “We partnered with the Special Olympics because hearing is an important part of communication, especially while athletes are competing.” Athletes came and went from the station, but all left with a smile because of Murad and the warmth of her team.

For club leaders Hannah Greenfield (Form V) and Amanda Su (Form V), responsibilities included organizing all student/parent volunteers, sending school-wide emails encouraging participation and fundraising throughout the year. Both joined the club freshman year and their passion was abundantly clear, as they cheered loudly from the bleachers. Between cheers, Greenfield commented, “Each year, the players say it’s the best event.” Su added, “We’re just looking to continue the legacy.”

Greenfield and Su, along with other members of the club, assign positions and jobs, but it becomes a “help where needed event.” Some volunteers, like Alden Harting (Form VI), worked at the swim events, timing the athletes and handing out medals. Others, like Chase Shaftel (Form V) led loud cheering sections. As a member of the Boys Varsity Basketball team, it’s special for Shaftel to “see people play the sport I love. That’s what I’d want: people coming to support me.”

Other Fieldston athletes, the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, fresh off a 7 AM morning practice, stayed at Fieldston to help at the event. Enjoying her last spring season and Special Olympics, Ksenia Chmatenko (Form VI), shared, “As a senior, this is the final one for me, which makes it even sweeter.”

Amongst frantic volunteers, eager athletes and talkative coaches, Drohan represents the eye of the hurricane. After the swim concluded, many volunteers looked expectantly at her. Quickly she remarked, “Basketball’s not over yet.” Till the very last whistle, Drohan buzzed around, doing a million things at once. Finally, as the event concluded, she had a moment of appreciation for her volunteers, whom she hugged as they left, and for the athletes, who she treated with the same love and respect as her daughter. Throughout the day, when speaking to Fieldston students volunteering, almost everyone spoke of Drohan with a twinkle in their eyes. Her leadership provides a certain, indescribable feeling of love and community. 

Head of School Joe Algrant detailed, “This important tradition in our School brings joy to many people and also demonstrates two critical pieces of the Adler philosophy: the importance of deed over creed, and that we benefit ourselves by benefiting others and that we benefit humanity in the execution of events like the Special Olympics. It’s a huge infusion of uncomplicated, positive energy into the community and it makes me extremely proud to be part of this School.” There is no day more Fieldston than the Special Olympics when athletes and volunteers come together regardless of any barriers for one reason: the love of the game.