They didn’t stand out just because of their bright yellow T-shirts. They stood out because of their joy. On April 18, a group of 20 Challenge girls and their team leaders from Mountainside, NJ volunteered at “Miles for Matheny” an annual walk and day of entertainment for the Matheny community, which is a residency for persons with disabilities. The Challenge girls mingled with the patients who were waiting in their wheelchairs for the walk to start. The girls talked with them, did cheers, performed magic tricks, blew bubbles, handed out stickers, and spread smiles all around them. After an hour and a half of entertainment, the walk began. It was up to the Challenge girls to push the wheelchairs for the Matheny Residences to the finish line over a mile away. The girls realized they had to push in pairs because the road was rocky and the wheelchairs were bigger and heavier than they were. When they were not pushing a wheelchair they were accompanying those who were, or they were cheering on the other 120 participants. At the finish line the Challenge girls were there to congratulate everyone as they crossed the line. Susan Zavodny, the Club President, said, “Miles for Matheny was a huge success! The girls saw what a difference they could make interacting with people with such great disabilities. Although it was a bit difficult for some at first because of the severity of some of the handicaps, the girls were all able to see past the disability to the person inside that God had made.”
