On a recent Friday night, Sept. 27, my family attended the Mount Si football game like many of our friends and neighbors. We were also looking forward to halftime when the Wildcat Sparkles would be cheering. Wait—Wildcat Sparkles, you ask? Let me explain.

The Sparkle Effect (thesparkleeffect.org) is an innovative program that helps students across the country create inclusive cheerleading and dance teams in middle schools, high schools, and colleges that bring together students with and without disabilities. Our own Mount Si Cheer has become the 107th group to embrace this opportunity, and the results were on display that night. What I saw and heard at halftime couldn’t make me be more proud to be a parent at Mount Si.

What the cheer squad is doing with these special kids is great—don’t get me wrong—but what the entire student body did that night was nothing short of amazing, inspiring, and truly showed what great kids they are. So often, we hear how the kids of today treat those who need that little bit of extra help as an outsider, or worse. However, that night the Mount Si students proved that they get it. They cheered for those kids—calling out each of their names one at a time and really making them the focal point and making them feel that they belonged—which they do. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

Thank you—to the administration and teachers at Mount Si High School for their ongoing support and inspiration for all of our kids. To the Mount Si Cheer squad, for becoming a part of such a great organization and for opening their hearts to the Wildcat Sparkles. And to the kids for continuing to show that the students at Mount Si are in fact, the best and have their hearts in the right place.

Berry Rogers

North Bend