The 2nd Annual Power of Inclusion 5K on Feb. 22 attracted 292 participants, 43 of them challenged athletes. They were there to walk, run or roll toward a common goal — celebrating diversity and promoting and raising funds for PossAbilities’ grant and scholarship fund.
PossAbilities is a free, nonprofit community outreach program operated by Loma Linda University Health. The goal is to provide those with permanent physical disabilities support and resources to stay active and healthy. The 5k benefited its programs such as accessibility grants, educational scholarships, social outings to community events, adaptive equipment and more.
Among those who experienced the joy of participating in the event were 12 special needs children and their families. They were there as part of Angeles Especiales, a local Spanish-speaking support group for families with children with disabilities, and they are all PossAbilities members.
A second organization, Exceeding Expectations (EE) brought 72 children to participate. Many in the group placed as top finishers in their respective age groups. EE is a program in San Bernardino that serves an inner-city population and encourages at-risk kids to move their lives in a positive direction, using the sport of triathlon as the vehicle.
The Power of Inclusion 5K is the precursor to the third-annual Power of Inclusion conference at Loma Linda University Health, which will be held March 31 and April 1. For more information, visit http://lomalindahealth.org/power-of-inclusion/index.page.