Since 2023, students have raised nearly $5,000 to benefit Special Olympics Alamance County, demonstrating how classroom learning can extend far beyond campus walls and translate into tangible, meaningful community impact.
Sports have the power to energize a crowd and create enthusiastic fan bases, but in Burlington, sports are actively building strong community and belonging. Elon Athletics and Special Olympics Alamance County are showing how sports push boundaries beyond competition.
Shaina Dabbs, associate professor of sports management and chair of the Department of Sports Management, has played a vital role in fostering this connection between Elon Athletics and Special Olympics.
This partnership has been impactful by “creating meaningful opportunities for athletes to compete, connect, and feel a sense of belonging through sport,” shared Dabbs. “Beyond competition, the organization fosters joy, confidence, and community pride, bringing together athletes, families, volunteers, and supporters around inclusion and shared purpose.”
Through conversations with leaders in the Special Olympics, Dabbs became inspired to connect Elon Athletics and Sports Management students, as she saw a partnership that would “align perfectly with the goals of our community-based learning model, using sport as a platform for service, learning, and impact.”
This relationship has bloomed through a course taught at Elon, SPT 4270 Event and Venue Management, where students were able to “design and execute ancillary events connected to athletic contests that mirror professional practice in the sport industry while increasing awareness and financial support for the organization.”
This course has served a community organization that has been influential in multiple capacities in Burlington, while also providing students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in practice. Beyond the classroom, student-athletes working with Special Olympics get to see the powerful role they play as role models while reinforcing that sports are truly for everyone.
Since 2023, students have raised nearly $5,000 to benefit Special Olympics Alamance County, demonstrating how classroom learning can extend far beyond campus walls and translate into tangible, meaningful community impact. What begins as an academic assignment quickly becomes an opportunity for students to engage directly with athletes, families, and community members, gaining firsthand experience in service, advocacy and event coordination. The funds raised help provide local athletes with access to competitions, equipment, and year-round programming, but the impact goes well beyond financial support. Students leave with a deeper understanding of inclusion, the power of adaptive sport, and the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels valued and celebrated.
Looking ahead, Dabbs hopes to continue fundraising but, more importantly, continue to “leave students with this experience and understanding that sport is not just an event, it can be a powerful vehicle for service, inclusion, and lasting community impact.”
Through this sustained partnership, the program not only uplifts Special Olympics athletes but also shapes students into more compassionate, community-minded leaders who recognize the broader role sport can play in building connection and belonging.