Cloudy skies couldn’t dampen the spirts of hundreds of special education students, teachers and volunteers who came out to participate in 2018 Kiwanis Day of Champions at Fouts Field at North Thurston High School on Thursday, May 24.
The annual event has more than tripled in size since it was first held in 2003. That year, 150 students from a handful of schools participated. This year, more than 750 students from 48 schools representing 10 districts across Thurston County and beyond came to take part. The Day of Champions is a track and field event, specially modified so that all students are able to get in on the action.
To pull off such a huge event, Kiwanis of Thurston County recruits over 400 volunteers to help. Military personnel from around the area are well represented, as are Key Club members, cheerleaders and mascots from participating high schools. The Lacey Police Department assists with traffic and parking. The Lacey Fire Department, Intercity Transit, the South Sound Reading Foundation, Parent to Parent and the Thurston County Early Childhood Foundation were also on hand this year.
Informally dubbed “The Day of a Million Smiles,” the Day of Champions has grown to the point that plans are now in place to replicate it throughout the region and across the state. The Kiwanis Club of North Thurston is the local sponsoring organization for the Day of Champions while Kiwanis Pacific Northwest District and Kiwanis Olympia provide additional financial and volunteer support. They are hoping that other clubs will follow the template they have developed over the past decade.
The Kiwanis Day of Champions is a free event for participants. It is funded through donations from businesses, local and state organizations, and individual donors.
Sponsors for the 2018 Day of Champions Include:
- ABC Pediatrics
- APWA
- Rose H. Bailey, DDS
- The Franz Family
- Fraser Consulting LLC
- Bob & Sherry Houser
- Jeneva’s Our Hero
- Dr. Stephen B. Kern
- Carrie & Ed Kramer
- Lynardtech
- Mason General Hospital
- McDonald Family Dentistry
- Molina Healthcare
- James Nesbit
- North Thurston Public Schools
- NW Endontics
- PostNet Business Center
- Simmonds Chiropractic
- Tenino Family Dental Center
- Bobby Rocha
- Al & Janet Summerfield
- Karen Schoessel Consulting
- TwinStar Credit Union
- Uncork & Unwind
- Bay View Vet Clinic
Usually our Thurston Talk photographer focuses primarily on the students, but this year we thought we’d try to highlight the wonderful volunteers who make the day so special for participants.
