by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
His face beaming with unbounded joy, Aiden Peterson crawled into a snazzy white mini-car and then took off for a joy ride that had him giggling, waving and speechless with delight.
Aiden, a young boy from Sartell, is just one of many students – all dealing with mobility limitations – who had a chance to drive the little cars on the afternoon of April 7 at Hillside Early Childhood Center in Sauk Rapids.
The children were thrilled as they drove around the big room and a long hallway of Hillside, at times having gentle collisions and near misses with their vehicles.
At the event, children and parents could choose among five specially equipped mini-cars: a pink one, a blue one, a black one and two white ones. Each one was unique because each was equipped with controls suitable for each child’s mobility limitations. The battery-powered cars were equipped with switches especially made by students in the biomedical engineering program at the Cloud Technical and Community College.
The “Spring Cruise” bash, as it was dubbed, was a collaboration among the Benton-Stearns Education District and its executive director Diane Moeller; area school districts, the technical college students and the St. Cloud Metro Lions, who donated funds to make it possible.
A room at Hillside was packed with visitors who wanted to watch the children have a blast with the mini-cars. Guests included parents, physical therapists, school board members, Lions members and technical-school students.
Ayla Kitzmann of Sauk Rapids, daughter of Sara and Josh Kitzmann, smiles shyly as she maneuvers her bright-pink car up and down a hallway at Hillside School in Sauk Rapids. Behind her in his white car is Aiden Peterson of Sartell.
Aiden Peterson stops his car, very briefly, so his parents and others can snap a quick photo of him, and then in a few split seconds it was off to the races again for the happy boy.
Aiden Peterson’s brother watches with pride as he zips around in his car.
Physical therapist DeAnna Dunsmoor awaits the go-ahead to let Aiden Peterson of Sartell start his car and take off. Peterson is waving goodbye to family and friends eager to see him drive his snazzy car. Aiden’s parents are Aiden and Teri Peterson.
At Hillside School in Sauk Rapids, five spanking new kiddie cars are all lined up ready for little drivers to take a joy ride with them.
