Day 214: Friends For Life

This afternoon, I was able to spend a little time with a very special gentleman at the baseball game. His name is Warren and he was throwing out the first pitch. He is a very happy young man who down right loves baseball. Now Warren has special needs, but had more joy and passion than anyone I know. Despite the rain, this young man was able to make my entire night better. Oh, and I wish I could describe the look on his face when he threw the ball all the way to the pitcher. You would have thought he just struck a batter out at the World Series.

An experience like this is nothing new for our past Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen, Tayler Plunkett. With her platform, she has been able to make a difference and make some amazing friends with special needs. I was hoping to get this on here before she gave up her title two weeks ago, but I figured now is a fitting time. She will be competing for Miss Sun Valley's Outstanding Teen this weekend. Best of luck Tayler! Let's take a look at Tayler's platform.

What is the title of your platform?
TP: My platform is Friends For Life; Providing Support for Children and Teen with Disabilities. 

How can one get involved with your platform?
TP: I would LOVE if you spent time with someone with a disability. My platform is all about teaching children and teens to reach out to people with disabilities, so they can be fully integrated into society and participate in all that life has to offer. 

Why did you choose your platform?
TP: I chose my platform because one of my best friends has Cerebral Palsy and I have seen her be hurt time after time by people who don't treat her right because she has a disability. She entered high school without any friends because no one was willing to reach out to her. Her school didn't have a Buddy Club established. [For those of you who are not aware, Buddy Club is a high school program creating friendships between teens and teens with disabilities.]

God bless you Tayler and God bless what you do!

God bless,

Kailee