Syracuse sororities play wheelchair basketball as part of SU Disability Pride Month
Syracuse sororities play wheelchair basketball to raise disability awareness
Basketball tournament at Barnes Center marks start of OrangeAbility event series.
Syracuse sororities played a basketball tournament at the Barnes Center on Saturday with a twist. The games were played in wheelchairs as part of SU’s Disability Pride Month. Eleven sororities played in the tournament, plus the Panhellenic Council being the twelfth team.
“We want to bring awareness to people with disabilities, along with having participants experience what it is like to maneuver in wheelchairs,” said Casey Favata, a volunteer with CNY Adaptive Sports. “Other than that, it is a fun event to try. I would recommend it to others.”
The Panhellenic Council sponsored the tournament in collaboration with the Disability Cultural Center as a fundraiser for CNY Adaptive Sports, a local nonprofit organization that aids the disabled with participating in competitive sports. Throughout April, CNY Adaptive Sports will also bring more events to Syracuse University, such as wheelchair rugby and lacrosse.
“We are going to be back four more times this month.” Bob Prenoveau, a CNY Adaptive Sports volunteer, said. “I know that we are coming back on the 7th, there was a class that wanted to do wheelchair basketball. On the 15th, we are going to be doing quad rugby, and we are going to be doing one more basketball I believe. We have two more events, on the 22nd and the 26th, here at Barnes.”
CNY Adaptive Sports also organizes sled hockey events. This game follows traditional hockey rules but is played while sitting on sleds designed for the ice.
“We’ve got a three-on-three hockey event coming up,” Erik Ryan, another volunteer, said. “Whatever else the program ends up getting signed up for, I’ll be here!”
The Syracuse University Men’s Hockey Club will sponsor a Sled Hockey Tournament on April 13 at the Tennity Ice Pavilion. This event will also serve as a fundraiser for CNY Adaptive Sports. Similar to wheelchair basketball, sled hockey requires significant upper body strength.
In terms of the event itself, Delta Delta Delta won the tournament after beating Alpha Epsilon Phi in the finals. However, the end result did not matter, as the Panhellenic Council and the other sororities had a blast. There was vibrant music, free snacks, and a giant raffle with prizes such as Stanley Cups and various clothing.
“This was my first time playing wheelchair basketball today,” exclaimed Avery Lloyd, a sister of Delta Delta Delta. “It was so fun, I did not expect it to be entertaining. I would definitely recommend it for people next year.”
CNY Adaptive Sports plans to leave its mark on the Syracuse campus this month. Other upcoming events are sled hockey on April 13, wheelchair rugby on April 22, and wheelchair lacrosse on April 26. All are welcome to join the fun, as CNY Adaptive Sports has a mission to include everybody, including those who are not disabled and want to experience a new level of sports.
“We want them to have a good time, and enjoy themselves,” Favata said. “We want people to go around talking about this. As long as they know that this is out there at the end of the day, I feel like we have accomplished our goal.”
