Laughter and joy filled the room Sunday at the Moshosfky Center as foster children rushed through obstacles courses, played games and got the opportunity to be a “Hero for a day” with UO student athletes.
“Our goal is to make children feel like a hero for a day, so they’re going to meet a lot of everyday heroes and some TV type heroes and they’re going to go and do lots of types of fun activities and be distracted for four hours,” track and field athlete Madelayne Varela said. “It’s fun to see kids reactions and how they act around these cool people that seem normal to older people but amazing to younger people.”
O Heroes, a student athlete organization at the University of Oregon, co-hosted the event. This organization’s main goal is to create a unique, positive relationship with the athletic program and the community. The main aim is to not only thank the community for their constant support with athletic events, but to also lend a helping hand to the surrounding community.
“Through O Heroes, we always try and find events that will not only impact the community but also impact the athletes,” Director of O Heroes Judy Sheldon, said. “Often they are running from one thing to the next with academics and athletics, so these events are a great chance for them to reconnect with the fans, the community and just use their platform to bring more attention to groups that are in need and kids that just want to have a good time.”
A Family for Every child, which is a non-profit organization that helps foster kids get out of foster care and into permanent housing, co-hosted the event with O Heroes. The goal of this event was to give children the opportunity to feel special and experience what is like to be a “Hero for a day”.
Throughout the event children were exposed to various stations where they could enjoy themselves, be active and have fun. Children took part in various running obstacle courses, enjoyed bounces houses set up by the Eugene Emerald and the Eugene Fire Department. They were able to interact with athletes and community members.
A Family for Every Child hopes to raise awareness for the foster care system and what it is like to be a foster child.
“Trying to make a difference in the foster care system and really change the broken system,” Event Coordinator Rebecca Rhodes said. “Hero for a day is a tiny aspect of our organization, but at the same time something very near and dear to us.”
Rhodes works with A Family for Every Child Organization and was a former UO hurdles and long jumper for track and field.
“My boys have been asking for their own special day for years! What an amazing opportunity for them to not only learn about Heroes, but experience being a Hero!” Vera Collins, a foster, adoptive, and biological mother said.