A Gilbert Police Officer took part in Over the Edge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics on Dec. 7, 2019. This event took place at Cityscape, the fourth tallest building in Phoenix.

By rappelling down a 500-foot-tall building, Dani Covey helped raise a total of $7,000 for Special Olympics Arizona. Covey is a public affairs officer with the Gilbert Police Department.

This fundraiser helps sponsor athletes of Special Olympics. Participants take part in this Special Olympics fundraiser every year.

 Thanksgiving can be a great time to be thankful and appreciate who and what we have. It is also a time for families and friends to get together and enjoy other’s company.

 We did a poll of the students and teachers to learn what they are thankful for. We asked, “What are you thankful for and why?” The second question we asked is, “Who are you thankful for and why?” We found out the following:

• Ky’mhere is thankful for his family and parents because, “they are the only ones I have.”

 The 9th annual Salt River Fields Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival is an event all families will remember. The festival has hot air balloons, food, inflatable slides, trick-or-treating and more! My family and I won tickets from Bear Essential News. We had a very good time!

 I met Mayor Jonathan Rothschild at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible playground at Reid Park. The playground has ramps and plenty of shade.

Mayor Rothschild said his favorite part of this project was getting the funding to build it. He also enjoyed seeing all the kids having so much fun together.

The new playground is located near the DeMeester band shell. The old playground there was removed. The playground has an area for little kids and one for bigger kids too.

 Get ready Tucson! The 2019 annual Buddy Walk is marching your way. This year’s Buddy Walk is on Sunday, Nov. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. at Reid Park, Tucson at De Meester Outdoor Performance Center.

 In May of 2019, I attended a family fun night at the Academy of Tucson Middle School. Tracy Shaw, the school’s office manager, and Susan Creenan, the principal, handed off a donation of $4,000 to Thom and Kathy Mansur on the behalf of the Honor Flight of Southern Arizona Organization.

 My violin instructor and Master Teacher Brenda Chambers has lived her life with a love of music and has done many incredible things. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and completed studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has achieved high recognition for her advanced work in cello performance at Boston University which led to performances with several symphony orchestras in the Greater Boston area.

When you don’t feel well, is your pillow sometimes your best friend?

Preston was 9 months old when he got sick. He was in the in the hospital with Croup. After many breathing treatments and being sent home, he returned to the hospital. Pillows that were made for Preston when he was born were taken to the hospital to help reposition him as he got well. The nurses liked them.

 In the fall of 2019, Marana Unified School District is opening a new school. The school is Dove Mountain CSTEM K-8. CSTEM stands for Computer Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Students will have Chromebooks to use as a learning tool at school. Students in third through eighth grade will even have the ability to take their Chromebooks home to continue learning and complete their homework or other assignments.

 Right now at OdySea in the Desert in Scottsdale, kids have a once in a lifetime chance to see real artifacts from the famous, unsinkable ship of 1912. The Titanic was the largest ship in the world at that time. One terrible night, the unthinkable happened and the ship sunk to the bottom of the ocean. When you see Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, you will be amazed.