PATHS TO INDEPENDENCE LIGHT IT UP BLUE

Good morning, good morning, good morning, Welcome, welcome, welcome in his time. Now for our community connection right here on K one, the one you trust. And we have Caitlin Shorter who is with us here and she is with Pads to Independence. Not only are you a teacher, you were a runner.

Yes, tell us a little bit about that.

So we have our lighted up blue fun run and five K I'm on April twenty sixth, So we want to get as many people running as we can and supporting past independence.

Now, Pansy Independence is a pretty cool place. And I know this because I live nearby and I've been seeing a lot of things happening over there, a lot of construction going on. And tell me what's it been like with now that much of that is completed. It's a holy ball game over there.

Yes, So we have our new cafeteria and it's fabulous. We have the kids be able to spread out and do a lot more eat and then kind of do whatever they want. They're able to kind of either sit or kind of walk around for a minute and decompress and then come back and finish their lunch. Whereas before we really didn't have that opportunity. It was very tight quarters, so a lot of the kiddos who need just kind of a break. Then it's great. Now we can take that and help kind of regulate a little bit.

Well, Kaitlyn, and now, Pants the Independence is a different kind of school.

It's rather unique. In fact, not every town has a school like this. It is so unique that there are people that have moved from out of state just to have their children attend Past the Independence.

Tell us a little bit about it, will you.

So Past Independence is a school for children with autism, and I know we're kind of a unique school because we take from all levels of autism from I think there's three different levels one, two, and three, and most schools will only take one type or two types more the cohesive groups that kind of go together, but we take everything, so we have all the range from kiddos and young adults, young adults as well.

Yeah, and this is a place where they can learn at their own speed and they have that freedom, but they also have a little bit of that accountability to the cold. It goes along with their path. Yes, that's why I guess we call it Paths to Independence.

Yeah, Past Independence, and we do a lot of life skills and physical education. That's what you do, That's what I do, and so we really want to keep them moving. Sometimes they well just all children get sedentary, and so we want to keep them moving and going. And so they have physical education, they have cooking classes, life skills, but then the regular Stree math science.

So yeah, no, I witnessed some of the cooking skills because you know, I'm a judge at the world renowned grilled cheese cookoff Cooper and Mill every year and we always have one of the students who's one of the co chefs. And my goodness sakes, there are no counteraries in those, but anyway, they we we get to meet a lot of the students that way, because some are there to support others and others are just bringing their

Okay, so light it up blue. And April is Autism Awareness month and blue is kind of the color for autism. We want to share as much as we can, and so we want to raise awareness and so we have our light bulbs and if you want one, you can come to our off and get them.

Yeah.

But yeah, we and so that's why we call it lighted Up Blue and why our race is in April. There we go April twenty six this year, and so we really want to light up the town blue and show our support for autism.

And now we're coming up about a week and a half.

Right, I think, right, yeah, about a.

Week and a half. Do we still have any T shirts left?

We have a few, It kind of depends on the size. We don't have a whole lot left. But you can still register. Yeah, you just may not be guaranteed a T shirt.

Okay, but get registered. Now.

This is a fun win too, because you've got a great course. Tell us what the five k entails?

So our five K starts at our school right at past Independence and then we go down the pathfinder to Sooner Park and kind of weave around and then we end it back at past Independence.

Well you've got a good scenic route there, Oh yeah, low traffic, visibility, lots of nature, lots of fresh air.

What's the fun part? The fun the fun running? You're the one that I can do.

The fun run is a mile A lot of our kiddos do it, a lot of the teachers kiddos do it as well, and just race support a raise awareness and it starts, I believe, at the school and goes around. This is more the neighborhood as opposed to the five k's more on the Pathfinder and Sooner Park. So wow, but it's a mile and we were able to really we raise awareness.

And that's really what it's all about. And of course it's pretty colorful too. A lot of folks come out there, they're they're all ready for the bright sunshine and you know, it looks like it's probably going to be just about right where it's kind of cool when you start and then warm when you finish. Yes, that way, you know you don't have to overheat while you're out there, you know, getting your exercise and running.

Is this a time race, so a lot of runners will participate in it for a time race, So we do have that opportunity, sure, but a lot of us just want to run just to support it, just have fun.

Yeah, So you'd be surprised how many people show up for this. Every year, this seems to get a little bit bigger and a little bit bigger and with the weather being pretty dark and nice for this, I anticipate you might have probably one of the biggest crowds you've ever had.

So far, we have more signed up than last year, so I don't know the exact number, but we have exceeded last year's numbers even before the day of the race, so you can sign up all the way until the night of, and I.

Know how this goes.

There are folks who kind of sit on the fence a little bit and they wake up and they say, you know what, dog got it, I need to run.

Let's go, let's go do it. We're doing it.

Sometimes they do it as a family do and it's you know, there's everybody in the shorts and sneakers and out there just like a shot doing five k and just like it's nothing.

Now you've done some half marathons I have. Yeah, what's that like?

Exhausting?

I just tired thinking about it. I'm just asking, Yeah.

No, it's great. I actually ran the Cowtown in Fort Worth, and every mile I did, I did a fact about autism and I'm able to compile it to kind of raise awareness for autism. So it was really cool and be able to just share my life for running with the kids and be able to have them participate.

And so, yeah, how long you've been out the school teaching?

So I just started in September as a recreational therapist. I've been a recreational therapist for over twelve years and I wanted a change, and so I called up Claire and said, Hey, what do we got? And so I'm their pe teacher and it's phenomenal.

Wow, what a great experience you're having there too.

And then now with the lighted up blue and of course the race that is that is the April twenty sixth, So if you don't have that on your calendar, first of all, dog gone it.

Why don't you come on there? You go?

Can you join us?

I'm joining us. We got the pack we got the packet pick up.

Packet pick up on the twenty fifth Friday night from four thirty to six, so yeah.

We'll be ready.

Those packet pickups are interesting because some folks will kind of because they want to say a look, but they wind up talking and they wind up, you know, kind of getting little things going there and it's.

Like, oh, I didn't know you were going to run. The next thing is side bets take place. They don't. They don't. I'm making that up.

But anyway, it is a lot of fun and it goes for one of the best causes I can think of, and that is Pats dast you were.

A dancer, I was. How did that go with the bartbles Field I was cheated.

I did not win.

I know I know who did win. She's right down the hall.

It was. It was great. It was so much fun being able to uh to dance and dance with the stars to raise money and I think they again exceeded what they raised the year before. And it was so much fun. I had I think were outfit changes and that was the most thing I've seen, and so it was a lot of fun.

Now when we think of Bartleswelt, we think, oh, well, you know, it's it's nice town and we've got a few things that a few other towns don't have. It turns out we've got many. One of them's paths independence and the other one is dance with.

The Bartlesville Stars.

And that got so big they had to put you guys on the big stage instead of in the community room. They had to put you on the big auditorium stage and it was still kind of tight.

It was.

It was great.

Oh my goodness, sakes and the folks.

If you've never been a part of that, we'll get to that a little bit later when it comes, but just keep that in your tickle file.

We got that coming up too. But November, yeah, I think November. But this one is the big one here.

This is April twenty six, has been going on for some time now, and it's it's a nice annual event and we've been blessed, you know, ninety nine point n time weather wise on this.

I don't know how clear does that.

I know, I think she waves her magic wand and it happens amazing.

You know, it's a wonderful day and everybody's out having fun and getting some oxygen. But all the same, if folks can't run, maybe age is a factor. Sitting over here, You guys will take a check, won't you.

Absolutely you can go to our website past independence dot org and if you can't run, or if you don't want to sign up for the actual run, you can still donate. So there's a button you'll be able to click to donate and you can always do that.

Well, that's a great idea, you know that way, you know you can still help without the you know, maybe twisting something that you don't need to have twisted.

Don't want to injure yourself.

No, we don't want that, and that never happens anyway.

We've always had really good luck with that. I want to thank you for coming in and sharing with us today. And what is the website again that we go to to sign up.

It is www dot Pasttheindependence dot org.

Very good, Caitlin, thank you much for being here. Absolutely all right, folks, you've been watching and listening to our community connection right here on KWA