March 2, 2007
LAS VEGAS - A group of nearly 80 UNLV football players, coaches and staff members enjoyed the uniquely heart-warming experience of visiting Las Vegas' own Opportunity Village on Friday morning.
"We rarely do tours for groups this large and our clients love having them here," said Holly Spoor, a 1993 UNLV graduate who is director of development for Opportunity Village. "We have a lot of football fans here so the players are like rock stars going through here. Our people will be talking about this for a long time."
Founded in 1954, Opportunity Village is a non-profit organization that serves hundreds of people with intellectual disabilities and related physical disabilities by providing them with vocational training, employment and social recreation services.
"Making a visit like this allows us to have a better appreciation of all the things we are blessed with and take for granted," Head Coach Mike Sanford said. "We learned today to remember to see people for the people that they are and not for any disability they may have."
The players took two buses to the organization's main campus on West Oakey Boulevard and split up in four groups to tour the facilities and interact with its clients.
"This is a great opportunity for our players to volunteer a little of their time to interact with the community," said assistant coach Gary Bernardi. "It's important that they be thankful for the opportunities they have -- to go to college and play intercollegiate athletics. To respect the lives they're blessed with."
For some Rebels who grew up in Las Vegas, it was a return trip to the facility that annually hosts the popular Magical Forest fundraiser that attracts more than 150,000 guests each December.
"I remember my grandma loading us all up in the car to come out here at for the Magical Forest," said defensive lineman
Jacob Hales, a graduate of Las Vegas High School. "I think this was a great experience for the team to come out and feel the good spirit here and to see what these men and women are going through and overcoming every day."
Shaking hands, taking photos and giving hugs and high fives, the Rebels clearly enjoyed their eye-opening tour.
"It's great meeting a lot of the people who are so full of life and joy," offensive lineman Mike McKiski said. "It's impossible to not have a good time coming here."
