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Annual tradition continues to benefit community

Crowds of volunteers, family members and well-wishers clapped and cheered as groups of special-needs students made their way through the inflatable tunnel and into Detention at The Elementary for a day of fun and games.

Hosted by The Dusty Elam Foundation, Dusty’s Day is typically an outside event at the Elam farm, but for the last two years poor weather has necessitated a move indoors.

“We woke up Thursday morning and we had blowups that were underneath water and this was our second year in a row we had to move it out to The Detention,” Event organizer Chris Elam said. “It turned out great and those people are awesome out there. They are always willing to take care of us and make it happen.”

A full-scale family entertainment venue, Detention at The Elementary with its arcade complete with bumper cars, arcade games, and gym full of inflatables seemed like the logical solution.

Elam said about 500 children from area school districts were able to participate in the day Friday.

“That is our important day for us, it’s Friday, just to be able to see those kids and do the parade for them and make them feel special,” he said.

Founded in 2004, the Dusty Elam Foundation honors the memory of the late Dusty Elam, an aspiring special education teacher who died in a motorcycle accident in 2004 at 22-years-old.

“It just makes us happy to be able to something special for them and make a special day,” Elam’s mother Sharon Elam said Friday.

Student Government member Rylle Clark said she enjoys being able to volunteer for Dusty’s Day each year.

“I did last year and the year before, it is super fun, I love it,” Clark. “I think it is really good to get the whole community involved and carry on so that when students grow up we can still keep helping with it.”

However, Dusty’s Day is only part of the two-day celebration, which also includes The Dusty Elam Foundation Benefit Saturday at the Elam farm.

“Saturday was beautiful weather,” Chris Elam said. “It dried up…we were very fortunate and it was probably one of the biggest crowds we have ever had. We had great entertainment, great musicians out here and just a huge turnout.”

Elam said that after all these years, he is still touched by the support and generosity of the community that help make Dusty’s Day and the foundation’s benefit a success each year.

“Every year I sit back and reflect after it is all over with and I just can’t believe how many more volunteers are asking to help,” Elam said. “It is really unbelievable, we live in a great community and are very thankful. When we started this thing 20 years ago there were just a handful of us and now it is army now.”