DEFIANCE, Ohio – On the verge of opening its 2010-2011 season, the Defiance College basketball team took time to participate in the 20th-Annual Make a Difference Day on October 23 by spending two days in Columbus, Ohio, helping with the Special Olympics State Bowling Tournament.

It was the third-straight year that the Defiance College men’s basketball program had participated in the event. Members of the squad assisted nearly 500 bowlers by tracking scores, handing out medals and providing additional motivation and support for the athletes.

At the conclusion of the event, the DC men’s basketball team was given a service plaque from the Ohio State Special Olympics, but head coach Kyle Brumett expressed how privileged he felt to be able to be a part of the experience. “We could not be more excited about our relationship with the Ohio Special Olympics,” said Brumett. “This is a great opportunity for our team to be a part of a very special event and to learn a lot about ourselves, while touching the lives of others. This is a great example of what we want our basketball program to be about, learning while giving.”

That sentiment was echoed by junior Kyle Tietje, who said, “Working at the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament is always a fun experience for everyone. It is an amazing feeling to see the excitement on the faces of the athletes as they compete, and to know that you are helping them achieve that excitement.

Earlier in the fall, the Defiance men’s basketball team also took part in the 13th-Annual Walk with Sunshine in Maumee, Ohio, an event that helped raise funds for over 1,000 people with developmental disabilities.

The community outreach shown by the DC men’s basketball program can be seen throughout the DC athletics program, as during the past year, Defiance College student-athletes contributed more than 2,400 hours of service in their community and around the country.

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