Page 9 - AHATA

Thursday 5 May 2022 locAl
A10

A New Partnership Bringing Hope to our Youth

SAN NICOLAS - During the
Easter weekend the Little
League Soft Ball & Aruba
Para-Olympic Committee
teamed up with the HopEx
Foundation and the Free-
winds Ship to create a walk
that was not only fun but
also and example to raise
awareness for those with
disabilities.

Children as well as adults
participated in a combined
5K fun walk and scavenger
hunt through the streets of
San Nicolas with over 200
participants and 50 volun-
teers making the event a
big success.

What made this event
unique and special was
that it was not just about
who got to the finish line
first, but participating in sta- tions along the way where competitors who got to experience what it might ated.
be like to live with a handi-
cap. There were also pic- One of the organizers of the
ture moments and games activity, Carmelita Haynes
by each station making said, “It was a huge suc-
the scavenger hunt a suc- cess! Participants came to
cess. For example, pairing me saying they were very
up with another person be- happy to be able to par-
ing blindfolded while their ticipate today. The Way to
partner assisted them to Happiness Booklets were
walk for 100 meters to ex- eagerly taken with some
perience what it is like to be people saying they had al-
blind. Easter eggs beeped ready the booklet and re-
out a signal had to be lo- questing another one.”
cated by sound rather than
sight. Ms Haynes hopes that
many more will come out
The kids under 10 had a next year. She also wanted
2K run and after they were to give special thanks to
back they participated in all the sponsors providing
an adventurous Easter Egg prizes and the Freewinds
hunt. For the youth there for their continued support
were Beep Eggs they had to the Aruban community.
to locate which made this The sponsors who donated
hunt more difficult. There to the Paralympic com-
was something for the mittee and Little League
adults, for the kids and for Softball were: SETAR, Su-
the teenagers. per Food, KIWANIS San
Nicolas,Berg's Ice, Keke Su-
At the end of the race The per Center, The Volunteers
Way to Happiness, which from Colegio San Nicolas
is booklet with a common and all those persons who
sense guide to better living participated to make this
in Papiamento, was given FUNWALK a great success.
out to participants and
people in the crowd by the For more information about
volunteers of Little League The Way to Happiness visit
Softball and the Freewinds the www.waytohappiness.
which was very appreci- org websiteq