03/26/19
By Diane Gasper-O’Brien
University Relations and Marketing
HAYS, Kan. – Alysha Werth and Chloe Brown have belonged to the same church while attending college but weren’t all that acquainted with each other until recently. The two Fort Hays State University students got to know each other a little better last weekend.

They signed up to volunteer at the Special Olympics Kansas Basketball and Cheerleading Tournament in Hays, and they were assigned to work together at the scorers’ table in one of the Cunningham Hall gyms.

By the conclusion of the two-day tournament, Werth and Brown realized they had more in common than they might have thought, specifically their desire to give of their time.

Werth, a senior elementary education major from Ellis, and Brown, a senior organizational leadership major from Ottawa, both were drawn to the Special Olympics event after volunteering for two years at Night to Shine, a prom for people with special needs.

“The first year at Night to Shine, every time I saw a special needs person, they made me smile,” said Werth, who is adding a minor in special education to her resume. “So when I saw this opportunity to volunteer, I decided to sign up. I am so glad I did. This was so rewarding.”

Special Olympics Kansas is a volunteer-driven organization that features a year-round program of athletic training, health education and competition to more than 5,400 athletes.

The state basketball/cheerleading tournament is held at two different sites, in Hays and Topeka. The Hays tourney, which this year featured about 600 athletes and more than 200 coaches, relies on hundreds of volunteers to help facilitate.

“We know the volunteer base is there in Hays and that we can count on some college students for help,” said Tim Rehder, senior vice president of programs for Kansas Special Olympics, who is in charge of all the state competitions.

Hays has hosted the state basketball and cheerleading tournament for four decades, and about 250 people volunteer to help out each year, including 50 to 75 FHSU students.

“That’s a good feeling, knowing we can more or less run the tournament with students there,” Rehder said.

Werth said she empathized with the Special Olympians. It was quite an undertaking for some to score a basket, no matter how hard they tried.

After graduating from Ellis High School in 2014, Werth decided to stay close to home and attend Fort Hays State.

A first-generation college student, Werth said she was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of making college life a successful venture. She struggled to keep up with her classes, so she took a few semesters off.