Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome. It is time now for our community connection right here on K one, the one you trust, and today we have miss Claire Bartley in here and she's the executive director of PADS the Independent. It's always great to have you on board. How you doing today?
I'm doing great, Tom, thanks for having me.
Well, it's great. We're gonna light it up. How are we show people that sign? We gotol visual aids there. We're going to light it up blue. That's right. What are we doing this?
On April twenty six? We have our five K and our friend runs starting at eight a m.
It's that timing year already.
It's April Autism Aware. This month starts next week.
There you go. You got to get your blue light bulb.
But your blue light bulb.
We've had ours for a couple you probably do for another one. Here it's a wall hit champion.
You just come by if you want to. If you need a blue light bulb, then you don't have one, come by the office.
Yeah, they'll just take a little walk right there.
Yeah.
So now how do we get ready for the big fun run? Here? Everybody knows where they're gonna get the light.
Bulbs, right, get the light bulbs.
You can register online on our website www dot.
Path Independence dot org.
Okay, so if you want a T shirt guaranteed registered by the fourth of April so that we don't run out.
This is pretty popular and everybody loves the T shirt and we have.
To guess how many T shirts, so it'd be nice not to guess yours.
So you want one, yeah, make sure you ask ahead of time.
Sure it looks good on you.
Right, this is our T shirt designed too this year, so it's gonna be like this.
It'll be our One of our.
Teachers, Susanne Jones, designed it and so we're pretty pretty happy with it.
My goodness takes Now where does the path takes? On our run?
You will if you go on the five K, you'll start at PTI and you will run all the way down the.
Pathfinder through Sooner Park, It goes a little bit into the neighborhood and then comes back to PTI. If you go on the fun Run, you'll run, you'll walk back behind p and down Brookline and around through Poredom and come back on Fortum.
Well, okay, there you go. It's very easy and it's very seeny too. It's so green when we do.
This, I know, and the weather's usually perfect.
So that's let's keep our fingers crossed that stays that way.
It's got just enough cool and just enough warmth that nobody's gonna pull a muscle, and you're gonna enjoy it.
It'll be nice and cool when you get there. It'll be nice and warm when you go home.
Perfect. Welcome to Oklahoma, Claire. How long have we been doing this?
Oh goodness, well, that is a hard question. I think we've been probably at least ten years. Uh huh, because we started the five K.
We first started running the Central route, you know, the Central has that the five K there before we moved over here to it's our school.
Now. Tell us a bit a bit about the school. Because this school is highly sought after for parents and for their children. They'll move here from distances to just to attend PATS.
That's right.
So Fast Independent serves individuals with autism. We're unique in the state and really this whole area because we serve the entire spectrum.
So we'll serve children right now.
When children I diagnosed are diagnosed at level one, two or three, based on their needs. So currently, I mean, we're the only school.
That will take children at any level.
We do manage behavior problems, which is unique to the state too. And we get children traveling from the Tulsa area all over northeast Oklahoma.
Wow, and people actually move to town.
Yes, we've had lots of families go ahead and just move because it's easier than trying to drive every day.
Indeed, and once you get back is a child that feels more integrated into society.
I mean, PTI, we're pretty we're pretty proud of the fact that it's a nice community. It's a good community environment for children with autism and their families.
They don't feel that they're different, they're not left out. They're a big part of everything.
Oh.
Yes, that's what our school is about.
So it gives them a chance to have leadership opportunities, learn whatever they want to learn.
We have kids that go.
To Tri County Tech and work at the creamery downtown and then just get out in the community.
A great deal and.
Many communities don't have this, and it's an opportunity lost in a lot of cases. What drove you to start a school like Past Independence.
Well, Jean Jensen and I.
Jean Jensen has a son named Keefer, who is, by the way, graduating this year.
Hard to believe.
When he was in third grade he started struggling in public school setting, and so Gene and I just decided we set up a school for Keifer. And we've gone from just one Keifer from twenty twelve.
To we have eighty two students currently.
Wow. You know, I heard you tell the story once that you two really didn't know how to get this done. You just knew that you had to get it done.
Yeah, we didn't.
I mean Jane was worked with the cardiology at the hospital. She was a what do you call it, the program manager or the practice manager, and then I was a teacher at Central, So we kind of had a little bit of what we needed, like business plus education, but of course starting a school is a whole different.
But it has been very successful and we're very pleased.
It has in Folks, don't know where you are. You're at the old Will Rogers. Little bits and some changes.
Oh it's beautiful.
We've had so much community support when we did our capital campaign and we have new windows and floors, we have a brand new cafeteria, that's gorgeous a kitchen that I'm trying to recruit, you know, chefs from around the city that might want to just come on in and cook in our kitchen because it's that nice.
We'll have an open house. We're playing at open house.
In August except for the community, so we'd love for people to come out and see how beautiful the building is.
You know, some of those chefs. I've already got a little sample of the kids because we do that big a world renowned grilled cheese cookoff.
Exactly exactly.
I did send a picture to Andy Saltzman and told her that I built the kitchen for Marjorie, trying to see.
If I could just hook myself up. But I haven't worked yet, but I haven't given up.
Oh my goodness, this is a great school. Once again, it's because people participate people. We live in a very giving town, yes, and we don't take that for granted. And we also live in a town where people like to walk and run and have a good time and breathe fresh air. And with this big event coming up, our five k run, let's get her done. How can we sign up again?
Go to the website www dot past Independence dot org and sign up and get your T shirts.
Or you can either run.
You can do the Fun Run, or you can buy a T shirt just for fun and not have to get up in the morning.
Or you can donate. We always love donat Alright.
Next thing you know, people will be dancing. That's right, I'm funny looking. But anyway, I want to thank you for coming in and reminding us about our great treasure here with Pats and the independence and the wonderful opportunity we have to help