ALLENDALE, Mich. — Grand Valley State University's annual Rally with the Rapids basketball game is making its return this week.
On Monday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., the Big Rapids and Grand Rapids Special Olympics basketball teams will come together at the GVSU Fieldhouse to compete in a basketball game.
The free event doubles as a fundraiser for Special Olympics Michigan and will be complete with giveaways, prizes and games.
All of the money raised for the event will be split evenly between the two teams and go towards supporting their programs.
The event is put together by GVSU students enrolled in the Sport Facility and Event Management (SPM 376) class and is meant to be an experiential learning project for them.
According to GVSU, coordinating and hosting the event helps students apply core principles taught in the class, such as event conceptualization, marketing, communications, risk management, staffing, revenue generation, operations, etc.
"This is definitely a way for us to apply what we're learning at school and get a bit of a practice run," said student Ashleigh Martin. "So with us being like the organizers, we're getting to see everything from like, getting the athletes to the event, running the event, making the money, and like all the parts that go into it. So I think it's really cool for us to see how what we're learning is applied."
Another one of the students hosting the event, Meghan Carlan, said the most important thing about the game is the supportive environment it creates for the athletes.
"It's such an inclusive setting that I think, honestly, that's the most important thing," Carlan said. "It's not the money, it's not, you know, the things that we give away during the game. It's not the prizes. It's just how they feel and how they are able to connect with each other and their coaches and even the people who put it together."
More information and updates on the event can be found on the Rally with the Rapids Instagram.