Kevin Dreyer, of Quechee, Vt., gets the inside view of the dunk tank at the Robert E. Ammel Jr. Memorial Youth Day at the Maxfield Sport Complex, in White River Junction, Vt., on Sunday, July 22, 2018. The day honored umpire Bob Ammel, who died in a car crash in 2016, and awarded scholarships and offered various activities to give back to youth.

A birthday crown sits atop Martha Engledow's head for her 102nd birthday as she awaits a drive by parade of her friends and family at Brookdale Senior Living on Saturday, July 4, 2020.

Pam Kneisel reacts to an account, told by Congressman Peter Welch, D-Vt., of what children have gone through in the wake of President Donald Trump's immigration initiative on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at the Thetford Hill Congressional Church, in Thetford, Vt.

Tom Hayes is carried in horse drawn carriage to his final resting place in the Orofino Cemetery on Friday. Tom, 41, died on July 21 in a helicopter crash while assisting firefighters in the Moose Fire, near Salmon, Idaho. His father, Tim Hayes, said he always had a smile on his face. His mother, Becky Hovey, will remember Tom for joking a lot to cheer people up in tough situations. “He’d start cracking jokes and made everything light-hearted,” she said. “He wanted to do it all, and he did,” Tim Hayes said. “He thought the World of his friends, and his friends thought the world of him and he will be greatly missed.”

Kristie Laatsch reacts as Dana Blaszkowski, 17, rides her 5-year-old horse Ike up to the Burger King drive-thru window on Thursday afternoon. Blaszkowski decided to take a more rural method of transportation from her home in Rozet to class at Thunder Basin High School. After an unsuccessful attempt to order from the McDonald's drive-thru earlier, Blaszkowski found success at Burger King and got Ike water and some applesauce for being good. While Ike decided the applesauce wasn't for him, he did enjoy some of the grass on the side of the road.

Willow Kasper walks along the trail at Golden Gardens Park in Eugene's Bethel Neighborhood during the Willamette Resource and Educational Network's Family Exploration Day. WREN provided numerous families with nets, binoculars, and containers for studying insects and fish, before letting them loose on the wetlands with the goal of helping kids learn about the environment and land stewardship.

Dade Mitchell receives his last of six vaccinations from head of the North Eugene Medical Clinic Tricia Schroffner on exclusion day. Exclusion day marks the day a child's records must show they have been vaccinated or risk being sent home from school and be unable to attend school until they receive the vaccinations. While shots are required by law in Oregon for all children in attendance of public or private schools, the state's vaccination rates remain among the lowest in the nation. 

Ryan Severson lets out a yell as he is hit in the back with a firework, at his own request to attempt to dodge them, fired by Skylar Mael at Heights Elementary School in Clarkston on Saturday night, July 4, 2020.

Pianist Alexander Schwarzkopf plays “Night-Spell 1- Saggitarius,” by the composer George Crumb. The piece involves plucking on the strings of his piano, whistling and drumming on the piano.

Branch Manager at Pacific Steel Matt Taylor looks through an electric resistant welded tubing for a portrait at Pacific Steel on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

Hailey McKendrick, 7, and Lisa Ponder step outside the Frontier Heritage Fair to watch a rare snowfall in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2018. The Heritage Fair brought old fashioned clothing, art and tools to 21st century Eugene. Ponder attended the fair as part of the Pioneer Quilters, and with two other women demonstrated the art of quilting.

Nike Bowerman TC's Evan Jager kisses his girlfriend after winning the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the Olympic Trials with a time of 8:22.48. By winning Jager qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. 

Mendon, Vt., resident Al Wakefield, left, takes a lesson from Dartmouth classical saxophone lecturer Michael Zsoldos, of Woodstock, Vt., at The North Chapel in Woodstock on Wednesday, July 11, 2018. Wakefield was one of 70 students Interplay Jazz brought together for a summer program, and he is now applying the basics he learned there. After a life as a "corporate guy," music functions as a way for Wakefield to get his emotions out. "At this stage in my life, it brings me great joy," Wakefield said.

Sharon Barber embraces her father Cory James as they prepare food and gather up donations of food and water at the Waha Bar and Grill on Saturday. James, who owns the Waha Bar and Grill, was forced to evacuate his home on Friday night as firefighters continued to battle fires in the area including the Captain John Creek fire and Snake River Complex fire.

Pancho Carrasco stands for a portrait on Friday, Dec. 6, 3019. Carrasco used to have trouble reading and seeing without squinting, thanks to money that the Council of Community Services received from United Way, they were able to afford for him to have eye surgery and purchase glasses. “They helped me,” Carrasco said. “If they didn’t help me, how would I get the operation on my eyes? They set everything up with the operation. My life is so much better. I can see, I can read.”

Grae O'Toole retrieves items that survived the fire that claimed her apartment in Woodstock, Vt., in addition to Pi Brick Oven Trattoria, and parts of the Vermont Standard offices. O'Toole was woken by the smoke alarms on Monday morning and dialed 911. Among the items that survived were her birth certificate, passport, social security card, and journal. "This is what 28 years comes too, a little pile in the parking lot," Grae's mother Lea O’Toole said.

Brian McGregor, the passenger representative of Green Mountain Railroad, helps Nicole Piasecki, 3, of Hanover, N.H., off the train at the end of her 40 minute train ride at Glory Days of the Railroad in White River Junction, Vt., on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.

A rock climber descends down from the rock known as "Monkey Face" as another climbers looks on at Smith Rock State Park. Monkey Face is a 350 foot pillar, that resembles a monkey from the correct angle. The pillar contains several of the most difficult climbs in the world, including "just do it," and the "east face" crack. The "just do it" route is also the first 5.14c rated climb in the United States, an elite level grade in rock climbing. 

Special Olympic athlete on the Upper Valley Hawks team Rose Kerrigan, of White River Junction, Vt., swims through the water at CCBA's Witherell Recreation Center in Lebanon, N.H., on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. When it comes to important moments, Kerrigan thinks back to the bronze medal she won in the 100 meters in swimming. The medal was important not because it was her first, but because her family was there to watch.

A girl dances down Main Street with the Nez Perce Tribal Veterans in the Veterans Day Parade on Main Street Lewiston on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2021.

Whether it's going head-to-head in the Area Games, rehearsing for an upcoming talent show or running alongside each other in the annual Torch Run, Special Olympics and the activities surrounding them is all about family. As they awaited the next scene on Monday, Maddi Buchmann, 3, played and tickled Jessica Attaway. Maddi, who was there with her aunt Christina James, attend and participate in events like the Kids in Motion Talent Show to keep the memory of James' daughter alive.