A Special Day for Special People

         One of the thousands of people receiving a Special Kids Day free pass and other special gifts last year was little Hayley. These days she walks with her parents over to her favorite rides, especially the ones that go up and down. Her parents, Matt and Rebecca Kennis, in previous years would meet the school bus bringing the kids from Endwell or BOCES to join the group in their colorful tee shirts as they wandered around the fair. Since then, the Kennises have taken to making a family day of it.          Hayley and her sister Jessica together get on those rides that can sometimes seem too much for older stomachs. While for the Special Kids the event is filled with carnival magic, socializing is what some of the adults have in mind. According to Matt Kennis, an assistant manager at the Vestal Barnes and Noble, his daughter Hayley “really enjoys the rides, most of all. My daughter happens to be a thrill-seeker. For me, I just enjoy, you know, getting out . . . and spending some time with my daughter and meeting some of the providers and caregivers that teach her and look after her during the day.”          Socializing among the community of people with special needs and their support staff is a source of information and strength for its members. At the Broome County Fair “you get to see pretty much everyone from the county that's in special education in one way or another, both kids and adults alike,” says Matt. “It's just another opportunity to meet with other children and adults with disabilities. . . It's just nice to have everyone there.” Though socializing is also important for the special kids, the rides are even more exciting to them. For Hayley, the rides “give her the feeling of going up and down and up and then down. It's part of her senses. She really enjoys the physicality of it.”          Along with the free rides, Hayley and her friends enjoy a free fair meal, maybe a hotdog and French fries, and a free gift as a souvenir of their happy experience. For six or seven years now, Special Kids Day has been a regular feature in the Kennises’ summer plans. We thank the Kennises for accepting our invitation and for sharing with us the treasure of their abiding special love.