SOMO News

It’s often common to see compassionate hearts from those who dedicate their careers to giving back to their communities and important causes.  Dr. Derrijk Hollon and Dr. Hilary Wendell of Hollon Family Chiropractic are no exception.

Hollon and Wendell are raising money for the second year in a row for Special Olympics Missouri’s fundraising event Over the Edge and both will be rappelling in Jefferson City.  The ways in which they’re raising funds are a testament to their compassion for their community as well as Special Olympics Missouri.

“We love using philanthropic promotions in our office.  For us, having a service partner is the best way for us to give back to a community that has given us so much,” said Wendell.

Wendell further explained how her and Hollon rely on their community in order to promote Special Olympics Missouri.

“Last fall, we provided new patient consultations, exams, x-rays, and report of findings for $60.  We then turned around and donated that $60 to Special Olympics and Over the Edge.  This promotion was such a huge success, especially when patients learned our very own Dr. Derrijk would be going Over the Edge.  We decided to bring the $60 initial visit promotion back again this year due to the tremendous response we had from it last year.”

The community involvement has allowed Hollon to give back to a cause that he holds near and dear to his heart.

Hollon explained just how much Special Olympics means to him.

“One of my best friends from growing up has Cerebral Palsy.  This condition left him severely handicapped and dependent on his parents.  My friend grew up watching me compete, and wanted to do so himself.  That’s when we found out about SOMO Track and Field (in the year of 2000), and after the first year we were hooked!  He spent all of his off-season training for his events.  It was amazing watching him fulfill his dream to compete just like me, and feel the trill of achievement through victory.”

By participating in Over the Edge, Hollon and Wendell were able to witness the thrill of achievement that Special Olympics provides for thousands of athletes just like Hollon’s friend.

“Last year’s Over the Edge event was so inspiring!” said Wendell.  “I was able to watch the SOMO athlete go Over the Edge and to see all the smiles both from him and his family was priceless!”

Participating in last year’s event also inspired Hollon.

“Even though it was pretty awesome to go Over the Edge myself, watching the SOMO athlete go over was my favorite part.  He had raised the funds himself and donated it to an organization that provides him so much,” said Hollon.

It’s evident how Hollon and Wendell are committed to promoting Special Olympics Missouri.  They have relied on their community for support and now they are relying on their family and friends.  They are so committed that they’ve decided to incorporate this year’s Over the Edge event into one of the most important days of their lives – their wedding day.  They will be rappelling on media/VIP day as their wedding party watches.

“We didn’t know when we set our wedding date that it was the same day as Over the Edge,” said Wendell.  “When we found out, instead of saying, ‘Oh, we’ll just participate in Over the Edge next year,’ we embraced it and made it a part of our wedding festivities.”

Both Hollon and Wendell are very excited.

“We are pumped to be a part of Over the Edge again this year,” said Hollon.  “I know our friends and family will love this event as much as we do.”

“Our friends and family can enjoy the event, learn about Special Olympics, and have a better understanding of why we love the Jefferson City and SOMO community so much,” said Wendell.

Dr. Derrijk Hollon and Dr. Hilary Wendell get to help the community in their everyday lives and thru that they are able to give back to causes they are passionate about.  Their zeal for helping the community is felt by community members, Special Olympics Missouri and more importantly the thousands of athletes that benefit from the organization.