Several Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry students and faculty members alike took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer at the 30th annual Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) Fall Festival. Organized and hosted by Villanova University, this year’s theme was “Once Upon a Fall Fest: A Story of Bravery” and featured six Olympic-type games including bocce, long distance running, powerlifting, roller skating, soccer and volleyball.
Brandy Scombordi, OD, pediatric optometrist at The Eye Institute of Salus University, was the lead doctor for optometry screenings. The optometry volunteers performed eye exams on 138 athletes, dispensed 83 pairs of prescription glasses, which were made on site, and 55 pairs of sunglasses.
SOPA provides year-round sports training and competition for more than 20,000 children and adults alike with intellectual disabilities and is the biggest student-run Special Olympics event in the world. Annually the Fall Festival garners more than 1,000 athletes, 400 coaches, and 6,000 volunteers from the Villanova Student Body, surrounding community, and corporations, while the events themselves require at least 2,000 volunteers.