A Day to Shine for 1,300 Athletes

With her arms stretched high above her head, Dana ran across the finish line flashing a smile that she wore for hours.

“Good,” she said, describing the event. “That’s it. Good.”

The 22-year-old student from Canyon Hills School in Anaheim Hills was one of about 1,300 athletes who participated Friday in the Kathleen E. Faley Memorial Special Games for developmentally disabled students.

The participants, from schools throughout the county, were matched with volunteers and treated to lots of hugs and high-fives at the Cal State Fullerton event, which featured relay races, kick ball contests and a band.

“They will talk about this day all year,” said Geno Mulcahy, a physical education teacher who brought 160 students to the games this year. His athletes, from Hope School in Buena Park, have participated each year since the first Faley Games 13 years ago.

Jack Faley, father of the Cal State Fullerton student who the games honor, organizes the annual event in memory of his daughter. Kathleen Faley created the event as part of a class project a year before she died in a car accident in 1987.

“Kathy was the inspiration,” Faley said, holding back tears. “She’s up there in heaven giving me wishes and all the signals. If she were here, she’d be saying, ‘Dad, you’ve got to make it bigger.’ And, it’s a tremendous project. The volunteers realize that these children who we call disabled are real people who give love and receive love, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Volunteer Shannon Hoerner, a 17-year-old student from Fullerton High School who walked hand-in-hand with Gaby, a 13-year-old athlete from Dale Junior High in Anaheim, added: “It’s like life-changing. You become more thankful for what you have and you learn to understand people with disabilities better.”

And Gaby summed up the day’s event with one word: “Fun.”