Imagine being able to participate in a futsal tournament on a roof looking out and seeing the Chicago skyline where all of the profits will be going towards a good cause: the Special Olympics.

DePaul sophomore special education major Ante Radocaj is making this vision possible with his first-ever fundraiser called “Kick for the Spectrum.” It is a one day tournament that will be happening at Skyline Pitch. Those interested in forming a team will pay a $300 registration fee and need six people on their team, with a 10 person maximum; people can also donate to the cause without participating in the event.

When Radocaj was younger, his family raised money for different organizations, inspiring him to give a kick at it as well. 

He decided to support the Special Olympics after noticing special education was “underfunded.” 

“So many people I know raised money for the Special Olympics, so I was like, ‘I think I’m pretty good with organizing events, so I might as well,’” Radocaj said.

Alongside that, last year he was assigned a random roommate, Elias Theodoropoulos, who has autism, ADHD and is obsessed with Taekwondo, having a second-degree black belt. 

Theodoropoulos, a sophomore education major, said Radocaj has connected him with a lot of his current friends.

“I love them all and I love Ante,” Theodoropoulos said. “I’m grateful I met him.”

Sylvie Boughner, a junior and Radocaj’s friend, said she is passionate about causes like the Special Olympics and Autism Awareness Month, because they often get overlooked, especially by those that don’t know people with autism personally. 

“I think that Ante, with his major and career path, since he is so knowledgeable about it, I think it’s so important to spread the knowledge that we do have,” Boughner said.

While this tournament is just for Chicago students, Radocaj hopes to broaden it one day.

“I’ve had people from Cleveland and LA want to make teams,” Radocaj said. “I just wanted to keep it in Chicago this year, just keep it simple.”

He hopes to raise somewhere from $2,000 to $3,000. He has made merch and secured sponsors for the tournament to make sure he raises enough money. 

Salvatore Primoli, a senior industrial design major, helped design graphics and merch. Primoli said he was excited and happy to help Radocaj.

“It spreads awareness, it helps a common cause too,” Primoli said. “It’s also fun, so you kind of hit every positive nail on the head.”

Help from friends does not happen without effort and a “first step.”

“If you just take the first step, everything else is going to fall into place because at DePaul you’re going to have people who want to help you,” Radocaj said.

“Everything I’ve done at this tournament, I’ve always had some kind of help. Even though I have to ask for it, you could do so much good in the world.”

Theodoropoulos hopes people who participate in this tournament will become more aware that “people with disabilities are worth fighting for.”

Kick for the Spectrum is set for May 2 at Skyline Pitch. 

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