MLHS seniors gift teen with new wheelchair

MOSES LAKE — Frontier Middle School seventh-grader Alianna Valdez had no idea she was going play a major role in a special assembly held at the school’s cafeteria Friday.

She thought she would just be watching some of her schoolmates receive awards for their participation in the middle school’s recent Special Olympics, an event put on by Moses Lake High School seniors Cadie Goodwin and Jessie Green as part of their senior project.

Valdez spent the first part of the assembly with her friends, clapping and cheering as kids were called up to the front to get their participation certificates, T-shirts and other goodies from the two high schoolers.

But then, her name was called. Valdez went up to the front a little hesitantly, later explaining she was confused because she didn’t go to the Special Olympics event and therefore wasn’t at all expecting her name to be called.

But she waited as patiently as she could as Goodwin and Green went into another room to retrieve the special gift they purchased for her. The wait was worth it though, said Valdez, once she realized the two were coming back with a brand-new wheelchair just for her.

“I was shocked,” she said after the presentation. “I don’t know, just so shocked because it was such a surprise.”

Goodwin and Green helped Valdez into her new chair, which was already custom-fit to her measurements. Valdez said the two girls were clever because they were able to get her measurements without tipping her off.

“They asked me for my measurements because there was someone at the high school they wanted to surprise with a new chair who was around my size,” Valdez said. “They said they didn’t want to ask the person for their measurements because they didn’t want them to know what they were doing.”

Valdez said she had to laugh at herself for falling for their story.

Her parents, Raelynn and James Valdez, called the girls’ gift a blessing.

“She (Alianna) has been needing a new chair for a while, she’s had the same one since elementary,” Raelynn Valdez said.

Valdez’s parents and a couple of family members were at the assembly, also unaware that she would be receiving a new wheelchair.

“We were definitely surprised,” her mother said. “This is just amazing.”

Goodwin said the pair’s senior project was originally just going to involve organizing a mini Special Olympics event at the middle school.

They were going to have different games and activities for some of the students to participate in and give out awards after the event. They decided to include getting a new wheelchair for Valdez after hearing from teachers and administrators how much she needed one, she said.

Green said they started fundraising for both projects last fall. They raised a large portion of their money during a dance at the middle school, she said.

The Moses Lake Rotarians also donated to their project, which was a big help.

Goodwin and Green said their project was inspired by a few friends they’ve made over the years.

“In middle school I was friends with Jake, who had special needs,” Green said. “I hated how people stared and judged him and just treated him differently.”

She started walking with him to class and sitting with him at lunch so he wouldn’t face things alone.

Goodwin said those are things they still like to do at the high school.

“If we could just get people to change their mindset about students with special needs, that’s our goal,” she said. “They’re students just like us, and they should feel welcomed when they come to school.”