Mooresville’s Key Club recently hosted their annual Pioneer Passion Project Carnival and were also honored as volunteer of the year for the League of Miracles within the same day. Their day started with the annual Pioneer Passion Project Carnival that provides a space for children with disabilities to enjoy fun games, bounce houses, food, and more.
The carnival was an opportunity for children who may not always have the opportunity to experience large events like this due to overstimulation and a chaotic environment.
The event was planned and led by Mooresville’s Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, which serves as an executive board for Mooresville’s chapter of Key Club and takes on large community service projects.
The event took place behind the high school in the Pioneer Practice Facility, which provided a large space for kids to explore the many different games and activities Key Club had put together. The club had a multitude of different things for the kids to do such as a paint table, giant versions of table top games, sensory stations, face painting and Just Dance.
Along with these stations, Key Club also brought in vendors to enhance the experience for the kids. They rented three bounce houses, a giant yard pong, and a whack-a-frog game that were all a hit with children and their families. Additionally, they brought in a photo booth to allow families to capture the special day and a local barnyard petting zoo. The petting zoo featured many farm animals like an alpaca, chickens, goats, and even a highland cow.
Such a big event would be difficult for Key Club to pull off by themselves, so they worked in tandem with the Mooresville’s Best Buddies. Best Buddies stepped in as volunteers for different stations as well as running a concessions stand for the families at the event.
The carnival was not just a place for kids to have fun, but also gave parents a way to get useful information regarding healthcare needs. Mrs. Joanna Miller gave multiple presentations throughout the event about the Medicaid Waiver to give families information they may need to get signed up for it. Along with these information sessions, Hometown Waiver Solutions also had a table set up for families to ask questions and get further details about getting on the Waiver.
Members of the community praised Key Club for pulling together another successful carnival and many appreciated the low stress environment they provided for the kids to have fun. This event would not have been possible without the generous support of local businesses who choose to assist Key Club through donations. A few of these businesses include Pendill Wealth Management, Marion Adams Flooring, and Citizen’s Bank who have donated to help Key Club host events such as the carnival, their annual Veteran’s Breakfast, the Pioneer Pumpkin Party and more.
“It’s amazing to see the community show up year after year and the difference these kids are making,” Key Club Advisor Alicia Richhart said.
Key Club’s busy day did not end at the carnival. Later on that day, members were invited to the League of Miracles Gala. During the gala, Key Club was honored as volunteer of the year.
The League of Miracles is a specially designed program for providing a fun, inclusive sports atmosphere for individuals with special needs. Key Club partners with the organization to participate in their baseball and kickball games to provide support for the kids. They also host many different events like pumpkin carving and cookie parties throughout the year for the athletes to participate in. Club members create signs each year for every single athlete as a way of showing support.
