Photo: Chris Fama/WBZ NewsRadio
ALLSTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Special Olympics MA kicked off its annual Summer Games weekend with a fundraising basketball tournament Friday.
The tournament called "Bio-Ball" paired Special Olympics athletes with members of the local biotech industry, including Nimbus Therapeutics, 2seventy bio, and Kelonia Therapeutics.
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"It’s a great partnership with really the entire biotech industry, life sciences industry, here in the state of Massachusetts," said Steve Huftalen, Executive Vice President of Development and Marketing for Special Olympics MA. "I would say over the course of the 19 years it has definitely evolved from a basketball tournament that happened to raise money to a fundraiser that happens to be a basketball tournament. That evolution has been fantastic."
Friday's event at the Harvard Athletic Complex included a free throw competition, skills challenge, and 5-on-5 tournament games to determine a winner.
"It’s amazing to see the sense of accomplishment and excitement," Huftalen told WBZ NewsRadio. "We’re celebrating their accomplishments of what they can do versus what they can’t do."
This year's Bio-Ball tournament raised $436,440 for Special Olympics MA, a sizable bump from the $24,000 raised the first year, according to Huftalen.
"It makes me proud, I love it," said Nick, one of the athletes.
WBZ's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.
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