Melissa Nicholson of Chadron started volunteering for Special Olympics when she was a child, and 40-some years later, she’s still passionate about helping Special Olympic programs and people with special needs. One of the reasons is because she gets to spend quality time with her younger brother, Russell Moore, who has a learning delay and is part of the Chadron Rattlers Special Olympics team. Nicholson, who’s also the West Region Coordinator for Nebraska Special Olympics, said nothing brings her more happiness than seeing Russell and all the other Special Olympics athletes in the region smiling and enjoying life to its fullest.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
CHADRON – Growing up in Paxton, Melissa Nicholson and her sister, Rebecca, always kept a close eye on their brother, Russell Moore, who was born with a learning delay.
“We would always look out for him to make sure he was OK,” Melissa said.
They also wanted him to be happy, which is why they loved hanging out with him and doing many different activities together.
“We were a tight-knit family, so we would go fishing and camping together, and we were in 4-H together, too,” Melissa said. “No matter what we did, we were always laughing and having fun together.”
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