How many pigs are under the trees? This isn’t some kind of code word passed between spies. It’s a clue from a previous Morningside Ride. The ride is a scavenger hunt – with a car. Participants are judged on the number of correct answers instead of speed.
This year, the course kicks off on September 15 at Olympia High School and ends at the Lucky Eagle Casino near Rochester. The challenging route changes every year. “We were on Highway 99 near Tenino trying to find an ‘airmail’ mailbox,” says Morningside board member Christina Foppiano-Poole. Poole and her navigator kept turning around hoping to find the elusive box. They looked everywhere, well, almost everywhere. “It [the mailbox] was suspended on a pole thirty feet in the air,” says Foppiano-Poole.
All of this driving, stopping and sometimes reversing is for a good cause. The money generated helps fund Morningside’s programs. Last year close to three hundred people took part in the Ride or Finish Line party that followed. “This is an attempt to be light-hearted and different,” says Morningside Development Vice President Laurie Arnone. “It’s very casual. We encourage people to dress in outlandish costumes and just have fun.”
The hunt takes about an hour and a half to complete. Scores are tabulated by a computer and the winner gets a trophy but all competitors are treated to a barbeque at the end. There will also be a silent auction, “cash cab” and lots of great raffle items.
This is the sixth year for the ride and celebrates Morningside’s 50th anniversary in the community. The organization’s core mission is helping people with disabilities find employment. CEO Jim Larson likes to joke that Morningside is number one in the nation. “Washington has the best record of having people with developmental disabilities working in the community, Thurston County is the leader in Washington and we’re first in Thurston County.”
Since assuming the CEO position in 1989, Larson has seen a lot of changes during his tenure. “We’re placing people today with significant intellectual and physical disabilities, where thirty years ago that wouldn’t have been possible,” he says. Larson credits the local community for a lot of Morningside’s success. He’s hoping that support continues. “The biggest barrier is fear of the unknown. The more we’re around people with disabilities the more we get to know their differences, get to know who they are.”
So what about the next fifty years? Larson isn’t sure, but in the near future he’d like to see a couple of things. The first is making sure everyone is paid a living wage. The second is a diversity of transportation services. “Our bus system is great but it’s limited,” says Larson. He adds, “most of us can just jump in the car and go. If you don’t have that option it can be a real challenge.” Finally, Larson wants the state to close down its four institutions that house people with intellectual disabilities. “Those people should be in the community.”
To participate in this year’s Morningside Ride, click here. Entry fee is $80 per team. The hunt begins at 8:30 am on Sunday, September 15.
