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SeaFair Celebration 2008
Preview:
Each year, NCPRS participates in the SeaFair Celebration held in Seattle, WA. NCPRS works with the Federal Way Boys & Girls Club, along with several other selfless volunteers, including staff from Oh Boy! Oberto, to bring kids from the Club to this event. The kids are given the opportunity to get up close and personal with Oh Boy! Oberto’s Unlimited Hydroplane and meet its driver, tour the pit area, and meet members of the Blue Angels Team. This event is very near and dear to the hearts of NCPRS staff and we look forward to another phenomenal year!
Follow–Up:
By: Ron Steger
Do you remember the best day of your life? Do you remember where you were, what you were doing, the smells around you, the noise, or who you were with? On August 1st, in Seattle, Washington, at a Stay on Track (SOT) culmination event, a 10 year old boy grabbed my left leg and said, ”Mister, this is the best day of my life".
Now what intelligent response can you conjure up at a moment of such extra ordinary importance? This child just told me that an event, that I had something to do with, was the most important thing that had happened to him in the 10 years he has been alive. In the eyes of this child, held the validation for NCPRS staff that they successfully built a program that helped to provide the skills for this child to resist peer pressure to drop out of school, join a neighborhood gang, or succumb to the pressure of drug use.
Today culminated the hard work of Shelly Puariea, Executive Director of the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club, who inspired her staff to take the NCPRS materials and bring them alive for her kids molding into the SOT activities their unique neighborhood needs. This young boy gave meaning to all the volunteers such as the Thompson family (Richard and Rachel) who worked with COSTCO to acquire hot dogs, cokes, etc.; Larry Oberto and the Oberto staff who put together "GOODY" bags filled with racing memorabilia; Bill Wooster who has volunteered his time and talent for 15 years using SOT and Unlimited Hydroplanes to motivate kids to stay in school; Kayleigh Perkins ( the only woman in the nation racing hydroplanes this big) of the UL-72 Miss Boat Electric team, came and spoke to the kids about the significance of goals and leading a healthy lifestyle; and Steve David driver of the Oh! Boy Oberto Unlimited who stood in front of this 38 foot long, 2000 horsepower, 200 mph boat and talked about the value of an education and the importance of staying drug free.
This day, with all the kids wearing Oberto bright blue racing shirts with Race Against Drugs proximately displayed, was a celebration for the Federal Way Club's summer drug prevention and education program sponsored by Oh! Boy Oberto in conjunction with Seattle's annual Seafair event. Like many in Seattle and the surrounding area, these kids had seen these thunder boats race on TV, heard the Blue Angels flying from a distance, but never in their wildest dreams thought they would get the chance to touch these boats in the pits, meet the drivers, obtain autographs, have their picture with the Blue Angles crew and be treated so special. Kids know that adults promise rewards if they do something special and then more often than not—do not come through. Probably for the first time these kids got everything promised and more! They were on the side of the ropes where others wanted to be but couldn't because they didn't have the special blue shirts or the VIP credentials. Even Seattle Chief of Police Kerlokowsty took time from his busy schedule to recognize these kids, while standing on the back of the Oberto Unlimited, for their drug free accomplishment. How do you teach life skills to kids that have seen extreme violence, drug abuse in their home and are the recipient of abuse from loved ones and strangers? Well one approach is through the Stay on Track program and special events where everyone gets involved, like Seattle Seafair…and maybe…just maybe, you will be treated to a lump in your throat and an unforgettable memory when a young person says " Mister, this is the best day of my life".
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