NLACRC Consumer & Family Stories
Scouts Join
Together at LA Marathon
At this year’s Los Angeles Marathon held
on March 4th, Cub Scout Troop 88 joined with Boy Scouts
from the Valley’s Las Colinas District to participate in
the 5k portion of the marathon. Their goal was to raise
money for Ability First’s Paul Weston Center, located in
Woodland Hills, which is where Troop 88 meets.
 |
| Aviles, left, helps scouts from Pack
88 get ready for the L.A. Marathon. Left to right; Aviles,
Samuel Bashe, Christoher DeVries and Tony Prey. |
This marathon is the secon time the troops
have partnered together. The first event was held last summer
with a Medieval Age Day Camp held at the center.
Christoper DeVries, a 12-year-old Boy Scout from Thousand
Oaks, took an interest in Troop 88, all of whose members
are physically disabled, because he wanted to earn a Boy
Scout merit badge in disability awareness. He met with them
twice a month, helping them with projects to earn credits
towards his badge. He enjoyed working with them so much
he volunteered to be their den chief, and he got Scouts
from other troops involved as well.
Jeff Richards, director of Ability First, is pleased with
how well this is working out. "It’s all about inclusion,
getting able-bodied and disabled Scouts mingling and learning
from each other. We have 14 boys now, but next year, I’m
sure we’ll have 30 or 40 as the word spreads in the disabilities
community," says Richards.
With less than a mile to go, Christopher took over pushing
the wheelchair of a 10-year-old boy named Sam. Sam had woken
up at 4:30 a.m. that morning, eager to go. Jo, Sam’s mom,
says she hadn’t seen him so excited since the day he received
his shirt and cap.
 |
| Boy Scout Christopher DeVries pushes
Cub Scout Sam Eashe across the finish line of the 5k
walk at the L.A. Marathon. |
Jo says, "You just don’t know how important
something like this is, to be included. Normal kids don’t
like being around Sam because he can’t do what they can.
He gets left out of everything. Now he’s so happy and has
something to look forward to."
Based on articles published in the Los Angeles Daily News,
March 1 and 6, 2007.
Photos courtesy of Daily News.
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