Senior Lauren Gieseking and Social Studies teacher and Longhorn Council sponsor Annie Wayland discuss Special Olympics buddy applications and volunteer numbers.

Thirty-three percent of the student body will miss school on Monday, Feb. 24 to volunteer at the Special Olympics, the annual basketball tournament and carnival for children with special needs.  In the midst of the activity, Lauren Gieseking is leading from behind the scenes as the Head Event Coordinator.

“The entire responsibility of the event and training the new team falls solely on my shoulders. So far I have put in over 30 hours of work in planning: applications, designing T-shirts, meeting with Special School District staff members and delegates from the Special Olympics,” Gieseking said. “By the end of the event I will have logged over 70 hours.”

Gieseking’s participation in Longhorn Council (LoCo) on the executive board as the philanthropy officer has given her exposure to several charity events and causes, but none are as large as the Special Olympics. 2014 marks Gieseking’s first year spearheading the event solo.

“My freshman year I was co-chair of the event and shadowed former Head Event Coordinator Amelia Ayers, and sophomore year I became more involved in the planning process. Junior year I was the student in charge along with Mrs. Ceriotti, but it is very different this year because she is gone so I am having to train our new LoCo staff and executive board about the ins and outs of the entire event,” Gieseking said.

The Special Olympics is planned from scratch each year, the number of participants and guests, activities and needs varying from group to group. Special School District and Special Olympics discloses the information one month before the day of the event, causing a flurry of work to be done in a brief amount of time. Being a veteran Girl Scout earning her gold award, Gieseking is no stranger to taking on challenging leadership tasks.

“My Girl Scout background has helped me to become the leader I am today. It taught me to have the confidence to take on a challenge, be creative in the face of a problem, and stay calm under pressure,” Gieseking said. “Without these lessons, I would not have had the opportunity to lead this event and the courage to face the issues that are so common in events of this scale.”

The hard work and long hours are worth the payoff to Gieseking.

“I want students to take away a greater appreciation and respect for everyone, regardless of their situation. For one day, our volunteers become more than just a high school student; they become a best friend, a mentor, a leader and a role model,” Gieseking said. “We build a community and a lasting relationship that allows the entire West community to bond inside and out of the school and experience life lessons at they have never had the chance to have before.”