14
TWO VERY
SPECIAL PEOPLE
WORDS Kara Chalmers
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Eileen Merchant met Pam Fazio
some 22 years ago through their
daughters, Kristy Merchant and
Melissa Fazio, young teens who became
fast friends after playing together in a
baseball league for kids with disabilities.
In 1995, the Fazio’s moved here from
Pennsylvania, where Melissa had swum
on a Special Olympics team. Kristy
was a track and eld athlete for Special
Olympics Florida, Mana-tee County,
and soon Melissa joined the local
organization, as well.
ext, the girls’ mothers got involved,
volunteering and ultimately getting
certied as coaches, rst in track and
field (Fazio and golf (Merchant, and
later in other sports. Fazio went on to
volunteer with the organization as a
family chairperson and as an assistant
administrator.