We are excited to announce @ESPN's "Top 5" Unified Champion Schools leading the way for the #UnifiedGeneration. The schools will receive an exclusve banner presentation from ESPN to celebrate that they #ChooseToInclude!
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— Special Olympics (@SpecialOlympics) September 6, 2018
As the Global Presenting Sponsor for Unified Sports, ESPN has chosen to highlight five exceptional schools from the Class of 2018 National Banner Unified Champion Schools. The national banner recognition program honors Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools from elementary through college that have achieved Special Olympics’ 10 Standards of Excellence, fostering school communities that are welcoming and inclusive to students of all abilities. Rowan University was one of just seven collegiate programs awarded a banner in 2018, and is the only collegiate program ESPN selected to feature in its “Top 5.”
However, that’s not all, on Saturday, November 3, 2018, ESPN will showcase and celebrate the culture of inclusion at Rowan University. The first event of the morning will be the banner presentation ceremony itself, which will take place in Esbjornson Gymnasium and have the look and feel of a pep rally. A brief Unified basketball scrimmage will kickstart and energize the crowd, leading into a wide range of impactful elements, including recognition of all Unified athletes and partners in attendance and the Rowan Unified Cup soccer team, insights and testimony from athletes, partners, family members, Rowan alumni and staff.
The ceremony will end with the revealing of the Unified Champion Schools banner, led by Rowan Unified athletes and partners. At the conclusion of the banner presentation ceremony, all attendees will be encouraged to step outside the gym onto North Campus Drive to continue their cheering – this time for runners at the start line of the 2nd annual Unified 5k Trail Run, benefitting Special Olympics New Jersey and the Rowan Unified Sports club. The Unified 5K Trail Run, presented by Inspira Health Network, is trading in trails for paved sidewalks this year in an effort to bolster the Unified festivities already taking place on campus Saturday morning. This event also provides another opportunity for athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to compete side-by-side. The timed 5K race will also accompanied by a non-competitive 1 mile Fun Run for registrants to participate at any pace.
Interested in being apart of the day? Join us for the Unified 5K Trail Run