On Saturday, Sept. 17, Lake Land College will host the Special Olympics Family Fun Festival. This event provides a day of fun and games for over 800 participants and numerous volunteers.

This year, SOFF has a carnival theme: The Greatest SOFF on Earth.

The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for the intellectually disabled, and has events all over the globes. The Special Olympics were founded with the hopes of allowing the athletes to explore and grow their talents and raising awareness among its volunteers and the community.

Mattoon volunteer Cindi Derrickson said that SOFF is important to her because of her experiences with her uncle and friend at school, both of whom have Autism.

“Everyone deserves a chance to win the gold medal,” Derrickson said. “Everyone deserves to be recognized for their talents and the hard work it takes to get them there.”