Annual event highlights campuswide volunteer effort and enduring legacy of SVS
Cheers came early and often as Special Olympians took to the fields at Presbyterian College, welcomed by a campus community that turned out in force for one of its most cherished traditions: hosting the Area 5 Special Olympics.
Under clear skies and with nearly 200 student volunteers at the ready, the annual event once again transformed Bailey Memorial Stadium into a celebration of competition, community, and compassion. This year carried added meaning, marking the 60th anniversary of Presbyterian College’s Student Volunteer Services (SVS), the student-led program that has long powered the event.
“Today is your special day,” said Dr. Suzie Smith, Robert M. Vance Professor of Business Administration, in her opening remarks. “Your determination, courage, and joy inspire everyone on this campus.”
A legacy of service
Smith connected the energy of the day to a deeper legacy rooted in Presbyterian College’s identity. SVS, which celebrates six decades this year, was founded by her stepfather, the late Dr. Jack Presseau, with a vision grounded in the college’s motto: Dum Vivimus Servimus — “While We Live, We Serve.”
In reflecting on that legacy, Smith shared a message Presseau once wrote to future volunteers: “I want you to appreciate what God has done as you try to see the part you are to play in God’s ongoing work.”
For Smith, that vision remains alive in the students and volunteers who make events like Special Olympics possible.
“Looking around today,” she said, “I think he would be incredibly proud.”
That sense of continuity was underscored by the presence of Smith’s mother, Jane Presseau, who continues to serve the college, church, and community at age 88.
“Thank you for inspiring me and so many others,” Smith said, addressing her mother during the ceremony.
Students lead the way
While the event celebrates the athletes at its center, it is also one of the largest student-led service efforts on campus.
Abby Donaldson, a junior chemistry and computer science major from Campobello, S.C., serves as a co-director of SVS and helped coordinate this year’s event. She said the scale and impact of Special Olympics make it stand out among the college’s many service opportunities.
“This event is special because it brings so many athletes together to celebrate community and competition,” Donaldson said. “It’s also rewarding to see all of our hard work come to fruition—and to see the smiles on both the athletes and the volunteers.”
Donaldson estimates that between 150 and 200 Presbyterian College students volunteered, making it one of the largest single gatherings of student volunteers on campus.
“We get a lot of volunteers for Service Day,” she said, “but this likely brings in even more.”
Her path to leadership in SVS began with a simple desire to reconnect with something she missed.
“I got involved volunteering in high school and fell in love with it,” Donaldson said. “I stepped away from it my freshman year, and I really missed it.”
That realization led her to seek out opportunities through campus ministry and SVS, where she gradually took on more responsibility, eventually stepping into a leadership role.
“Coming to PC gave me a place where that commitment to service is encouraged and developed,” she said. “It’s something that makes everyone’s life better.”
A meaningful moment
For many students, Special Olympics is not just another service event—it is a defining part of their college experience.
Lyle Jones, a senior mathematics education major from Mauldin, S.C., said the event holds particular significance as he prepares to graduate.
“This is my favorite event every year,” Jones said. “It’s my last one as a senior, so it’s a privilege to be part of it. It’s definitely a high to ride out on.”
Jones said the event’s impact extends beyond the athletes, shaping the experience of everyone involved.
“It brings so much joy—not just to the athletes, but to everyone here,” he said. “It’s a place where people from different schools and communities come together and are unified.”
That sense of unity—across age, background, and ability—is part of what has made the event a lasting tradition at Presbyterian College.
A campus tradition
The Rev. Dr. British Hyrams, the Jack and Jane Presseau Associate Chaplain, described the event as the pinnacle of SVS programming.
“This is our Super Bowl,” Hyrams said. “It’s something people across campus look forward to, and each year the level of engagement just keeps growing.”
Hyrams noted that Presbyterian College first hosted Special Olympics in 1974. While the event has not been held every single year since, it has become a deeply rooted tradition—one that continues to evolve as new generations of students take ownership.
“Students hear about it from others, or they have personal connections—siblings or friends who participate in events back home,” Hyrams said. “That makes it even more meaningful for them to be involved.”
He added that the event’s continued growth reflects both the strength of SVS and the college’s broader commitment to service.
“It just seems like every year the depth gets deeper,” he said.
Celebrating the athletes
At the center of it all were the athletes themselves—welcomed, encouraged, and celebrated throughout the day by a campus eager to support them.
From the opening ceremony to the final events, the atmosphere remained one of enthusiasm and respect, as volunteers cheered competitors and helped ensure the day ran smoothly.
For Smith, that spirit is what makes the event so powerful.
“To our Special Olympics athletes, we are honored to have you here with us,” she said. “We are excited to cheer you on.”
As the competitions unfolded, that excitement was evident across the college grounds—proof that while the event may last only a day, its impact resonates far beyond it.
For Presbyterian College, Special Olympics is more than an annual tradition. It is a living expression of a mission six decades in the making—one carried forward by each new class of students who choose to serve.
And as long as they do, the words at the heart of the college’s identity will continue to ring true: While We Live, We Serve.
