Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning, Welcome, welcome, welcome in
Speaker 1: his time. Now for our community connection right here on
Speaker 1: K one, the one you trust. And we have Caitlin
Speaker 1: Shorter who is with us here and she is with
Speaker 1: Pads to Independence. Not only are you a teacher, you
Speaker 1: were a runner.
Speaker 2: Yes, tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3: So we have our lighted up blue fun run and
Speaker 3: five K I'm on April twenty sixth, So we want
Speaker 3: to get as many people running as we can and
Speaker 3: supporting past independence.
Speaker 1: Now, Pansy Independence is a pretty cool place. And I
Speaker 1: know this because I live nearby and I've been seeing
Speaker 1: a lot of things happening over there, a lot of
Speaker 1: construction going on. And tell me what's it been like
Speaker 1: with now that much of that is completed. It's a
Speaker 1: holy ball game over there.
Speaker 3: Yes, So we have our new cafeteria and it's fabulous.
Speaker 3: We have the kids be able to spread out and
Speaker 3: do a lot more eat and then kind of do
Speaker 3: whatever they want. They're able to kind of either sit
Speaker 3: or kind of walk around for a minute and decompress
Speaker 3: and then come back and finish their lunch. Whereas before
Speaker 3: we really didn't have that opportunity. It was very tight quarters,
Speaker 3: so a lot of the kiddos who need just kind
Speaker 3: of a break. Then it's great. Now we can take
Speaker 3: that and help kind of regulate a little bit.
Speaker 2: Well, Kaitlyn, and now, Pants the Independence is a different
Speaker 2: kind of school.
Speaker 1: It's rather unique. In fact, not every town has a
Speaker 1: school like this. It is so unique that there are
Speaker 1: people that have moved from out of state just to
Speaker 1: have their children attend Past the Independence.
Speaker 2: Tell us a little bit about it, will you.
Speaker 3: So Past Independence is a school for children with autism,
Speaker 3: and I know we're kind of a unique school because
Speaker 3: we take from all levels of autism from I think
Speaker 3: there's three different levels one, two, and three, and most
Speaker 3: schools will only take one type or two types more
Speaker 3: the cohesive groups that kind of go together, but we
Speaker 3: take everything, so we have all the range from kiddos
Speaker 3: and young adults, young adults as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and this is a place where they can learn
Speaker 1: at their own speed and they have that freedom, but
Speaker 1: they also have a little bit of that accountability to
Speaker 1: the cold. It goes along with their path. Yes, that's
Speaker 1: why I guess we call it Paths to Independence.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Past Independence, and we do a lot of life
Speaker 3: skills and physical education. That's what you do, That's what
Speaker 3: I do, and so we really want to keep them moving.
Speaker 3: Sometimes they well just all children get sedentary, and so
Speaker 3: we want to keep them moving and going. And so
Speaker 3: they have physical education, they have cooking classes, life skills,
Speaker 3: but then the regular Stree math science.
Speaker 1: So yeah, no, I witnessed some of the cooking skills
Speaker 1: because you know, I'm a judge at the world renowned
Speaker 1: grilled cheese cookoff Cooper and Mill every year and we
Speaker 1: always have one of the students who's one of the
Speaker 1: co chefs. And my goodness sakes, there are no counteraries
Speaker 1: in those, but anyway, they we we get to meet
Speaker 1: a lot of the students that way, because some are
Speaker 1: there to support others and others are just bringing their
Speaker 1: families just to have a good time and everything. Now,
Speaker 1: when we say light it up blue, you brought the
Speaker 1: light bulb. Tell us a little bit about the light
Speaker 1: because I've got one on my porch.
Speaker 3: Okay, so light it up blue. And April is Autism
Speaker 3: Awareness month and blue is kind of the color for autism.
Speaker 3: We want to share as much as we can, and
Speaker 3: so we want to raise awareness and so we have
Speaker 3: our light bulbs and if you want one, you can
Speaker 3: come to our off and get them.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: But yeah, we and so that's why we call it
Speaker 3: lighted Up Blue and why our race is in April.
Speaker 3: There we go April twenty six this year, and so
Speaker 3: we really want to light up the town blue and
Speaker 3: show our support for autism.
Speaker 2: And now we're coming up about a week and a half.
Speaker 3: Right, I think, right, yeah, about a.
Speaker 2: Week and a half. Do we still have any T
Speaker 2: shirts left?
Speaker 3: We have a few, It kind of depends on the size.
Speaker 3: We don't have a whole lot left. But you can
Speaker 3: still register. Yeah, you just may not be guaranteed a
Speaker 3: T shirt.
Speaker 2: Okay, but get registered. Now.
Speaker 1: This is a fun win too, because you've got a
Speaker 1: great course. Tell us what the five k entails?
Speaker 3: So our five K starts at our school right at
Speaker 3: past Independence and then we go down the pathfinder to
Speaker 3: Sooner Park and kind of weave around and then we
Speaker 3: end it back at past Independence.
Speaker 1: Well you've got a good scenic route there, Oh yeah,
Speaker 1: low traffic, visibility, lots of nature, lots of fresh air.
Speaker 2: What's the fun part? The fun the fun running? You're
Speaker 2: the one that I can do.
Speaker 3: The fun run is a mile A lot of our
Speaker 3: kiddos do it, a lot of the teachers kiddos do
Speaker 3: it as well, and just race support a raise awareness
Speaker 3: and it starts, I believe, at the school and goes around.
Speaker 3: This is more the neighborhood as opposed to the five
Speaker 3: k's more on the Pathfinder and Sooner Park. So wow,
Speaker 3: but it's a mile and we were able to really
Speaker 3: we raise awareness.
Speaker 1: And that's really what it's all about. And of course
Speaker 1: it's pretty colorful too. A lot of folks come out there,
Speaker 1: they're they're all ready for the bright sunshine and you know,
Speaker 1: it looks like it's probably going to be just about
Speaker 1: right where it's kind of cool when you start and
Speaker 1: then warm when you finish. Yes, that way, you know
Speaker 1: you don't have to overheat while you're out there, you know,
Speaker 1: getting your exercise and running.
Speaker 3: Is this a time race, so a lot of runners
Speaker 3: will participate in it for a time race, So we
Speaker 3: do have that opportunity, sure, but a lot of us
Speaker 3: just want to run just to support it, just have fun.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So you'd be surprised how many people show up
Speaker 1: for this. Every year, this seems to get a little
Speaker 1: bit bigger and a little bit bigger and with the
Speaker 1: weather being pretty dark and nice for this, I anticipate
Speaker 1: you might have probably one of the biggest crowds you've
Speaker 1: ever had.
Speaker 3: So far, we have more signed up than last year,
Speaker 3: so I don't know the exact number, but we have
Speaker 3: exceeded last year's numbers even before the day of the race,
Speaker 3: so you can sign up all the way until the
Speaker 3: night of, and I.
Speaker 2: Know how this goes.
Speaker 1: There are folks who kind of sit on the fence
Speaker 1: a little bit and they wake up and they say,
Speaker 1: you know what, dog got it, I need to run.
Speaker 2: Let's go, let's go do it. We're doing it.
Speaker 1: Sometimes they do it as a family do and it's
Speaker 1: you know, there's everybody in the shorts and sneakers and
Speaker 1: out there just like a shot doing five k and
Speaker 1: just like it's nothing.
Speaker 2: Now you've done some half marathons I have. Yeah, what's
Speaker 2: that like?
Speaker 3: Exhausting?
Speaker 2: I just tired thinking about it. I'm just asking, Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, it's great. I actually ran the Cowtown in Fort Worth,
Speaker 3: and every mile I did, I did a fact about
Speaker 3: autism and I'm able to compile it to kind of
Speaker 3: raise awareness for autism. So it was really cool and
Speaker 3: be able to just share my life for running with
Speaker 3: the kids and be able to have them participate.
Speaker 1: And so, yeah, how long you've been out the school teaching?
Speaker 3: So I just started in September as a recreational therapist.
Speaker 3: I've been a recreational therapist for over twelve years and
Speaker 3: I wanted a change, and so I called up Claire
Speaker 3: and said, Hey, what do we got? And so I'm
Speaker 3: their pe teacher and it's phenomenal.
Speaker 2: Wow, what a great experience you're having there too.
Speaker 1: And then now with the lighted up blue and of
Speaker 1: course the race that is that is the April twenty sixth,
Speaker 1: So if you don't have that on your calendar, first
Speaker 1: of all, dog gone it.
Speaker 2: Why don't you come on there? You go?
Speaker 3: Can you join us?
Speaker 2: I'm joining us. We got the pack we got the
Speaker 2: packet pick up.
Speaker 3: Packet pick up on the twenty fifth Friday night from
Speaker 3: four thirty to six, so yeah.
Speaker 2: We'll be ready.
Speaker 1: Those packet pickups are interesting because some folks will kind
Speaker 1: of because they want to say a look, but they
Speaker 1: wind up talking and they wind up, you know, kind
Speaker 1: of getting little things going there and it's.
Speaker 2: Like, oh, I didn't know you were going to run.
Speaker 2: The next thing is side bets take place. They don't.
Speaker 2: They don't. I'm making that up.
Speaker 1: But anyway, it is a lot of fun and it
Speaker 1: goes for one of the best causes I can think of,
Speaker 1: and that is Pats dast you were.
Speaker 2: A dancer, I was. How did that go with the
Speaker 2: bartbles Field I was cheated.
Speaker 3: I did not win.
Speaker 2: I know I know who did win. She's right down
Speaker 2: the hall.
Speaker 3: It was. It was great. It was so much fun
Speaker 3: being able to uh to dance and dance with the
Speaker 3: stars to raise money and I think they again exceeded
Speaker 3: what they raised the year before. And it was so
Speaker 3: much fun. I had I think were outfit changes and
Speaker 3: that was the most thing I've seen, and so it
Speaker 3: was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1: Now when we think of Bartleswelt, we think, oh, well,
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's nice town and we've got a
Speaker 1: few things that a few other towns don't have. It
Speaker 1: turns out we've got many. One of them's paths independence
Speaker 1: and the other one is dance with.
Speaker 2: The Bartlesville Stars.
Speaker 1: And that got so big they had to put you
Speaker 1: guys on the big stage instead of in the community room.
Speaker 1: They had to put you on the big auditorium stage
Speaker 1: and it was still kind of tight.
Speaker 2: It was.
Speaker 3: It was great.
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, sakes and the folks.
Speaker 1: If you've never been a part of that, we'll get
Speaker 1: to that a little bit later when it comes, but
Speaker 1: just keep that in your tickle file.
Speaker 2: We got that coming up too. But November, yeah, I
Speaker 2: think November. But this one is the big one here.
Speaker 1: This is April twenty six, has been going on for
Speaker 1: some time now, and it's it's a nice annual event
Speaker 1: and we've been blessed, you know, ninety nine point n
Speaker 1: time weather wise on this.
Speaker 2: I don't know how clear does that.
Speaker 3: I know, I think she waves her magic wand and
Speaker 3: it happens amazing.
Speaker 1: You know, it's a wonderful day and everybody's out having
Speaker 1: fun and getting some oxygen. But all the same, if
Speaker 1: folks can't run, maybe age is a factor. Sitting over here,
Speaker 1: You guys will take a check, won't you.
Speaker 3: Absolutely you can go to our website past independence dot
Speaker 3: org and if you can't run, or if you don't
Speaker 3: want to sign up for the actual run, you can
Speaker 3: still donate. So there's a button you'll be able to
Speaker 3: click to donate and you can always do that.
Speaker 1: Well, that's a great idea, you know that way, you
Speaker 1: know you can still help without the you know, maybe
Speaker 1: twisting something that you don't need to have twisted.
Speaker 3: Don't want to injure yourself.
Speaker 2: No, we don't want that, and that never happens anyway.
Speaker 1: We've always had really good luck with that. I want
Speaker 1: to thank you for coming in and sharing with us today.
Speaker 1: And what is the website again that we go to
Speaker 1: to sign up.
Speaker 3: It is www dot Pasttheindependence dot org.
Speaker 1: Very good, Caitlin, thank you much for being here. Absolutely
Speaker 1: all right, folks, you've been watching and listening to our
Speaker 1: community connection right here on KWA