When Deanna Locke asked Monroe Fred Meyer Store Director Jay Jones to host a pumpkin patch specifically designed to accommodate kids in wheelchairs, he decided to give it a shot.
The first annual Fred Meyer Special Needs Pumpkin Patch took place Saturday, Oct. 18. In addition to the pumpkin patch itself, the event included arts and crafts, face-painting and photos, along with complementary coffee, apple cider and cookies. As an added attraction for families, pumpkins were offered for sale at a discounted rate.
Jerry Dixon, owner of Big Dog's hot dog joint in Monroe, parked his "HawkdogGÇ¥ truck at the event and provided free hotdogs for all the special needs kids who came to visit the pumpkin patch.
The outdoor pumpkin patch, which was located in the Fred Meyer Garden Center, was strategically created to be safe and large enough to be 100 percent wheelchair accessible. The area was reminiscent of an outdoor corn-maze, with pumpkins stacked plentifully atop hay bales, and cornstalks gathered decoratively around the patch. Despite the morning drizzle, the event was a great success.
"Ultimately what we're trying to do is just make sure that we help the kids make some great memories,GÇ¥ said Jones. "The kids and the families.GÇ¥
While the event was created for children with disabilities, all children were welcome to attend. Next year, Jones hopes to spread the word even further throughout the Sky Valley area so that more people will be able to take advantage of it.
Deanna, who brought her 16-year-old son, Ian, to the event, explained that it just isn't feasible for her to take him to an actual pumpkin patch at one of the region's local farms because of his wheelchair. Locke has been unable to find a pumpkin patch targeted towards special needs kids who are mobility-impaired.
"It's impossible to go through a pumpkin patch,GÇ¥ said Deanna. "So it was neat that Fred Meyer was actually able to pull this off and get it to happen.GÇ¥
Ian is a cheerful and sweet-natured young man who loves the Seattle Seahawks. He enjoyed all the sights and sounds at the event, and according to his mom, loved his hotdog from Big Dog's.
Deanna has lived in Monroe for over 20 years. She is excited to participate in the event again next year, and is hoping that other families will hear about it.
"We are big believers in community; Ian's out in the community a lot,GÇ¥ said Deanna. "We know there's a lot more kids like him.GÇ¥
Fred Meyer management and employees perform extensive community outreach throughout the Monroe area. Each year they donate volunteer hours to Monroe's National Night Out event, the Easter Egg Hunt, Monroe High School's Run for the Arts event and many others. They organize teams to participate in Relay for Life, which is a 24-hour cancer fundraising event that takes place in late spring at Monroe High School. This year approximately 25 Fred Meyer employees participated at Monroe's Relay for Life event.
They also volunteer at various YMCA events throughout the year, and will be helping out on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Sky Valley Classic family fun run, which starts at 9 a.m. on Main Street in Monroe.
Jones hopes to establish the special needs pumpkin patch as an annual event, next year serving even more children and their families.
Community involvement is important to Jones, as is developing good relationships with Fred Meyer customers. Jones was recently praised on social media for taking a proactive approach after he was contacted by a customer who felt unsafe in the parking lot at night. Measures were taken to improve the lighting in a certain area of the parking lot and there have been ongoing efforts to address other issues such as panhandling.
Next year, the hope is to broaden the scope of the pumpkin patch event and invite senior citizens or anyone else who might find traditional pumpkin patches difficult to navigate.
"It was fun to be part of such an awesome event,GÇ¥ said Dixon. "Great job to Fred Meyer and its employees!GÇ¥
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