So ..... there is this amazing local event called Corey's Day on the Farm.
(taken from the above link)
Coleta & Nick Corey of Silverdale, Wash., have reveled in the spirit of selflessness and giving back for the past 40 years. They are the founders of Corey's Day At The Farm, an event during which special-needs children can enjoy a day of horseback riding, petting farm animals, being outside, taking hayrack rides and eating grilled hot dogs. The annual event takes place the Monday and Tuesday following Mother's Day and evolved after Corey's special-needs son, Danny, participated in a “show-and-tell” at his school in 1968.
It's geared towards kids who have unique medical issues...
Autism is just one of the special needs confronted by children who come to the farm. Kids with emotional, developmental and physical problems are all welcome. Even youngsters in wheelchairs are hoisted up on the backs of the horses and given rides. Each school is responsible for deciding which students need and would benefit from the day at the farm and busses them out to the event.
They work really hard at putting the event together....
The days at the farm involve work year-round for the former Department of Defense torpedo-builder-turned-embroiderer. At the beginning of the year, Corey sends letters to the merchants and organizations which have previously donated time, money, goods or all three, asking for their help again—and she rarely gets turned down. Corey's Day At The Farm won her Bridgewater, N.J.-based, Brother International Corp.'s first “At Your Side” award for community service in June. It has become a community event that the children look forward to from the first day of school, and that breaks down the walls which sometimes separate people from the truth about what it means to be a special-needs person. Some of the uncertainty about how to handle special-needs people, especially children, is lost by helping at Corey's Day At The Farm. After working the event, volunteers understand that all it takes to make a disabled person's day brighter is a simple “hello.”
Be sure to click on the link and read the whole story!! I only shared a little....
We went to the event last year. Nathan & Kaedyn's pre-school went on a field trip there - I had no idea what to expect. Dennis and I took the boys (Nathan and Kaedyn) and were so surprised ... especially with Nathan's apparent looooooooove for riding horses....
Pictures from 2011 .... YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT HERE
Kaedyn didn't care for it too much - he liked to sit on the side lines and watch ....
We had gone both days because we *thought* our son Noah was also going the day after the babies had gone. So we went there looking for him to get pictures of him enjoying the day - with no luck. He hadn't gone. Which was disappointing for him, and us. We thought it was equally important for HIM to go too with all his medical crud going on....
So this year, we made it a POINT that all three of the younger boys went. We had the additional challenge of Dennis being in a wheel chair this year too.
Kaedyn was trying to help Daddy go while Nathan was along for the ride....
Noah at his FIRST Corey's Day on the Farm.... he's excited!!
Nathan and Noah .... Kaedyn, of course - wouldn't put the shirt, hat, anything on... and didn't want to be in their momento picture....
Daddy and Kaedyn watching Noah and Nathan get their pics done...
Noah the Cowboy!
Nathan the Cowboy!
Nathan the piggy!! LOL....
Nathan and Noah......
Be sure to check out the other installments of our Corey's Day on the Farm series ...
check out the beginning of our day!
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 2) ... First Horsey ride of the day ....
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 3) .... Second Horsey ride of the day .....
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 4) .... Hay/Tractor Riding ....
Corey’s Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 5) ….. Petting Zoo
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 6) ...... Eating!!
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part
7) ... Ropin’ Fun
...
Corey's Day on the Farm ~ 2012 (part 8)
... Horsey Rides 3 thru 6 ...
