Showcasing the Efforts of Special Athletes

Approximately 2,500 special athletes from throughout the county will be the sports stars Friday, May 4, at the 27th annual Cal State Fullerton Special Games-Kathleen E. Faley Memorial held on the practice fields north of Titan Gymnasium.

Opening ceremonies begin at 9:30 a.m. with master of ceremonies Ed Arnold, host of PBS SoCal’s “Real Orange” program. The visiting athletes will take part in a variety of noncompetitive athletic events, including football and basketball toss, T-ball, soccer goal kicks and a 50-yard dash.

The daylong festivities include a barbecue lunch for the athletes and volunteers, visits by theme park characters, clowns, live music and plenty of support from more than 4,000 high school volunteers. All of the athletes receive a commemorative award ribbon and certificate of attendance, in recognition of their efforts.

The Cal State Fullerton Special Games-Kathleen Faley Memorial was launched in 1986 as a CSUF class project. Two years later, the games were dedicated to the memory of Kathleen E. Faley, an alumna who died in a car accident in 1987. She was the sister of event co-organizer Dan Faley and among the inaugural core group of Special Games volunteers. To this day, her family remains involved in the event's planning and organization.

Additional information is available on the CSUF Special Games website.

Media Contact:         Pamela McLaren, 657-278-4852