The second annual Special Olympics Unified Egg Bowl is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the intramural fields on the Ole Miss campus.
OXFORD, Miss. – While the Egg Bowl football game remains the most divisive annual event in many Mississippi households, fans of both the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University are again being called upon to unite in support of Special Olympics Mississippi.
The second annual Special Olympics Unified Egg Bowl is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the intramural fields on the Ole Miss campus. Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities will play flag football alongside traditional college students from both schools, sharing in the fanfare and passionate competition that the schools will display when their Division I teams meet the following week.
“The Unified Egg Bowl gives students and Special Olympics athletes an opportunity to interact and build camaraderie and community,” said Jim Beaugez, director of PR and communications for Special Olympics Mississippi. “The competition is real and strong among our athletes, and they have a lot of fun with the rivalry. This is their Egg Bowl, and they give it all they have.”
The organization’s mission is to build understanding and acceptance for individuals who have intellectual disabilities through athletic competition, Beaugez said.
“Engaging folks in unified sports – where Special Olympics athletes compete alongside partner athletes – is a great way to foster that understanding and build genuine friendships that can last beyond the field,” he said.
Fans of both schools can also use this opportunity to donate money to help establish Special Olympics programs on the campuses of both universities and support programs throughout the state. The school that raises the most money gets a three-point advantage to start the game.
“Last year $12,000 was raised from the event, and we hope to surpass that number this year so that our Unified Egg Bowl will continue to grow from year to year,” said Amanda Alpert, UM coordinator of intramural sports and sports clubs. “The more fans we have, the better overall experience for the athletes, and that’s really what this is all about.”
UM Athletics Director Ross Bjork will be on hand for kickoff activities, and Caroline Coker, the reigning Miss University, will perform the national anthem. The Ole Miss “Pride of the South” band is slated to perform at halftime.
Last fall, MSU won the Unified Egg Bowl fan fundraising challenge, but the unified Ole Miss team won the inaugural game in Starkville 23-17. The game swaps campuses each year like the traditional Egg Bowl, but in opposite years.
Special Olympics Mississippi became one of the first pilot programs after Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver visited Ellisville State School in Jones County in 1968, and was officially incorporated and recognized by the state in August 1975, making 2015 the organization’s 40th anniversary in Mississippi.
The organization serves more than 3,000 athletes through a network of 17 multicounty areas and thousands of volunteers. Athletes compete locally at more than 50 events across the state, then statewide at the annual Summer Games and Fall Games. Athletes can then advance to the national and international levels of competition.
For more information, visit http://www.unifiedeggbowl.org.