One of the most heart-warming and memorable Nevada City Rotary projects is carried out in partnership with Seven Hills Middle School and the Nevada County Adaptive Education program. Over the years, we have moved locations at the preference of school leadership. Our most recent events have been field days at the ball field at Seven Hills, Western Gateway Park, and Lions Park. Before that we visited Empire State Mine and the Rock Creek Nature Trail.
The students from the Leadership Class and the Adaptive Ed program become buddies for the day. Always a very fun, special day for all! What a delight it is to experience the Seven Hills and Union Hill Leadership and Adaptive Education students buddying together around the lake to fish, play frisbee golf or other field games and make HUGE bubbles.
It all started with our Rock Creek Nature Hike. Nevada City Rotary partnered with the US Forest Service to offer a very special outing for 40 young students. Members of the Seven Hills Leadership Class paired with special needs students, many of whom are wheel chair bound, for a ranger led nature hike through beautiful Rock Creek Canyon outside Nevada City, CA. While the students are hiking, Nevada City Rotarians fire up BBQ grills and cook over 80 hamburgers and veggie burgers. The young hikers return for a BBQ.A choreographed partnership, the Forest Service service as nature guides and brought Smokey with them. Teachers and staff of Seven Hills and Union Hill Middle Schools organized the students. Durham Transportation provided the school buses including several with lifts designed to easily accommodate wheel chairs. Nevada City Rotary hauled in BBQ grills and food. Rotarians also provided home baked cookies. The young hikers exuded the wonder and joy. At the end of the day, Smokey Bear was greeted with squeals of delighted laughter.
