Do you need a dose of joy? Here’s where you can get it

Hundreds of students from around the region are expected to participate in the 2017 Day of Champions, a modified track and field event for students with disabilities.

Members of the community are invited to attend the event, which will be Thursday at Tumwater District Stadium, 700 Israel Road SW.

“We love having extra folks to cheer,” said Karen Schoessel, one of the organizers.

Day of Champions will begin at 10 a.m. with an Olympics-style opening ceremony to celebrate the participants who are arriving from almost 50 different elementary, middle and high schools. It will feature stations with activities that are adaptable for students who live with a range of challenges, from blindness and paralysis to autism and behavioral disorders.

The event is being coordinated by the Tumwater Kiwanis, and will be staffed by nearly 400 volunteers, including about 100 service men and women from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Schoessel said.

Medals will be awarded around noon, and the event will wrap up around 1 p.m.

Street parking in the area will be limited by the large number of buses needed to transport participants, but a church across the street is allowing visitors to use its parking lot during the event, Schoessel said.

This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 3:17 PM with the headline "Do you need a dose of joy? Here’s where you can get it."