Pumpkin Pickin’ at Shady Lane.

Next week on October 15, Project Unify will go on their yearly trip to pick pumpkins.

Project Unify will attend their annual trip to the Shady Lane Pumpkin Patch next week. They will spend the day taking hayrides and picking out their own pumpkins. Students who are involved in Project Unify will help the kids throughout the trip.

Project Unify is a club that helps children in the school that have disabilities. The club is a supportive way to make the kids feel welcome and loved. Project Unify is a heartwarming program; students in the school join the club to contribute making a difference.

On October 15, the club will take their annual trip to Shady Lane Farm. At the farm, the groups take hayrides out to the patch, where they get to pick their pumpkins. They will also take on the well-known corn maze. The farm also features hay mazes, farm animals, and other fun amenities.

“These kind of events make project unify so special because some of these kids do not get out regularly and do not have kids to interact with. So seeing them so happy is so heartwarming,” said junior Allie Rae Thompson, a member of the club. Thompson attended the trip last year and made special connections with the kids. Members of the club help the children get into the fall season.

“I feel like a lot of the time they feel inferior to us because they’re different. So being able to work with them and spend time with them makes them feel loved and appreciated,” said senior Cayla McCord, another member of Project Unify. McCord has been involved in the club for over a year. McCord enjoys giving the kids her company; it makes her happy to make them happy. People in the school also contribute just by saying hello or smiling to the kids.

This time of the year is important to the club because the kids should feel even more loved and cared for during the holiday season. The club holds meetings twice a month. The planning process is already beginning for the next months ending out the year. Project Unify will host upcoming events in November and December such as making ornaments and viewing Christmas lights to truly help raise the children’s spirits for the holidays.