Saturday, April 26, 2025, was a beautiful day to honor and celebrate the strengths, talents, and gifts of children and adults with disabilities in our community. Friends, families, professionals, and volunteers came together at the College Place High School track, where nearly 250 people gathered for a fun-filled event.
Attendees enjoyed a variety of games, activities, snacks, and prizes as they walked and rolled around the track. Highlights included exploring firetrucks and an ambulance courtesy of the College Place Fire Department, cheering along with the DeSales High School cheerleaders, and engaging in fitness activities led by Destination CrossFit. Many loved having their faces painted, practicing roping with Frontier Days Queen Tessa and Princess Teegan, greeting Sweet Lou from the Walla Walla Sweets, and tackling an exciting obstacle course. The sensory tables and photo booth were also popular stops for hands-on fun and memory-making.
Our Wall of Champions proudly showcased colorful posters featuring photos and facts about our loved ones—their hobbies, talents, and interests. Staff from WWVDN shared information about the Parent to Parent and Informing Families programs, and several SOAR participants offered insight into the Social Opportunities and Recreation program for teens and adults with disabilities and what it has meant to them.
As participants crossed the finish line, they were met with medals and some very special guests—Moana, Belle, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pikachu—who posed for photos and added even more magic to the day. To top it all off, College Place Schools Superintendent Jim Fry and Transportation Supervisor Melito Ramirez bravely took on the ice bucket challenge, getting doused with ice-cold water to everyone's delight!
