This Tri-Cities march celebrated triumphs and differences

Sharon Adolphsen knows how important it is to celebrate the triumphs children with developmental disabilities can achieve.

She has seen it first hand with her 32-year-old daughter.

“It’s important for families to celebrate all abilities,” said Adolphsen, coordinator of the Benton Franklin Parent Coalition. “There are a variety of abilities, some are small, but with a lot of work and support it’s pretty awesome what they can do.”

Those talents were on display Sunday as hundreds of people of all different ability levels joined in John Dam Plaza for the 10th annual March for Respect. The event is aimed at celebrating the differences and the community that supports those differences.

Musical acts, cheer teams and fitness squads performed on the stage, while a crowd of about 400 people picked up signs and marched.

Among those helping with the event was U.S. Senate candidate Joey Gibson. The Vancouver Republican, who is running against Sen. Maria Cantwell, grabbed headlines earlier in the week when threats forced a Kennewick hotel to cancel a meet and greet planned there.

He wanted to move the event to the plaza, but learned the Arc of the Tri-Cities had already booked the space for the march.

After an article in the Herald, Donna Tracy, the Arc of Tri-Cities’ program manager, reached out to his campaign to discuss what he wanted to do.

“We had a wonderful conversation, and I explained that this is an event to celebrate our community,” she said. “He was thrilled, and he said, ‘You know what. I’m not making this a political event. I’m going to help you.’ ”

He joined dozens of other volunteers from the 11 agencies that helped organize this year’s event.

The march celebrates the wonderful community in the Tri-Cities, Tracy said, emphasizing that the area does a good job of embracing people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“If you want to be included, it’s important to be grateful,” she said. “There are a lot of marches and a lot of walks for different causes, and as much as this Tri-Cities community has done to create opportunities, it’s our way of giving back.”

The Tri-Cities has made big strides in providing services and opportunities for people with disabilities, including improvements to public transportation and increasing the employment rate, Tracy said.

“It wasn’t until 1978 when our kids were allowed to go to school,” she said. “Now we have chances for employment. It used to be to get medical care we had to go to institutions, and that is in my lifetime.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2018 at 6:06 PM with the headline "This Tri-Cities march celebrated triumphs and differences."