UNIVERSITY PARK — Sue Paterno, Penn State field hockey head coach Charlene Morett, and Sheetz Executive Vice President of Marketing Louie Sheetz bid farewell to the more than 2,000 Special Olympians of 2011, who gathered near Penn State’s East Halls for the event’s closing ceremony on Saturday.

Sheetz awarded Lock Haven’s Jeremy Leupold the Sheetz Family of Excellence Award, given to an athlete who has “overcome obstacles and inspired greatness.”

Sheetz said Leupold, a softball player, had gone from being “a guy who blends into the background” to “a leader of fellow teammates, a role model for his coaches and an inspiration to all.”

Matt Aaron, the CEO of Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, said the 40th annual games had gone “tremendously well.”

The ceremony ended with a processional featuring the 14 athletes selected to attend the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.

— Cliff White