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| Splash photo by Hailey Rile |
Dominick Grizzle (left) of Spokane Valley gets a ride last weekend in the soap box derby. The volunteer driver is Sam Archer of Spokane.
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Ride of a lifetime
7/28/2010 11:16:17 AM
By Hailey Rile
Splash Intern
Smiles and laughs abounded last Sunday as 29 children with special needs participated in Liberty Lake's third annual Soap Box Derby Race in Pavillion Park.
Drivers and riders loaded into cars at the starting blocks, waiting for the wave of the green flag. Two cars at a time raced toward the finish line. A clock measured the top speeds. At the finish, the cars were hooked up to four-wheelers and hauled back to the starting line.
The event, sponsored by Spokane East Rotary, paired each child with special needs with a volunteer driver, who steered and braked the soap box car. The children experienced the thrill of the ride four or five times each down the hill on Molter Road.
Gene Brazington, a Liberty Lake resident and one of the coordinators of the event, said one of the best parts is seeing the kids and parents enjoy themselves.
"It is said that 95 percent of people get more joy out of giving than receiving," he said. "I truly believe that." Advertisement
The volunteers included Gonzaga University alumni, Rotary members, parents, families, friends, and more. Brazington said that there were more volunteers than were needed.
All the soap box cars were provided by Leo Finnegan, a Sammamish resident and father of a son with special needs. Various community sponsors made donations from $100 to $1,000, organizers said.
Spokane Valley resident Stan Brazington, president of Spokane East Rotary and Gene Brazington's son, said he and his father decided to get involved a few years ago when Finnegan told them a story of a young girl with autism and how the soap box derby races had such a huge impact on her life.
One of this year's participants was Dominick Grizzle, a 10-year-old Spokane Valley resident. With a diagnosis of Monosomy, Ring 4 and Wolf-Hirchhorn abnormalities in his fourth chromosome, Dominick is the only person in recorded history to have all three of these conditions, his parents said.
Parents Jason and Trisha Grizzle enjoyed watching Dominick in the races as much as Dominick liked participating. It's something that he can do, so they try to take advantage of the opportunity, the Grizzles said.
"He totally digs it," Trisha Grizzle said.
Although Dominick has unique needs, he is just like any other child; he loves to play sports, dance and run around, the Grizzles said.
Trisha Grizzle said that the biggest challenge of being a parent of a child with special needs is accommodating him because of his size. At 10 years old, Dominick stands 37 inches tall and weighs 21 pounds. Although he can talk, it is sometimes hard to understand him.
"The biggest challenge is probably communication," Jason Grizzle said. "It's hard not being able to understand everything he wants." But, when you can understand him, "it's the best feeling."
 Splash photos by Chad Kimberley
and Hailey Rile
Twenty-nine children with special needs and a host of volunteer drivers take to the road last weekend in Liberty Lake's third annual Soap Box Derby Race in Pavillion Park. |
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