Limestone celebrated its 50th anniversary in partnership with Easterseals at the annual Easterseals opening assembly on Tuesday, February 23.
Former Student Council advisor, Gordon Wassel, who pioneered the Easterseals campaign at Limestone, gave the opening speech. In his speech, Wassel shared impactful memories from the very first Easterseals event back in 1977, and gave students a perspective on just how much the campaign has grown over the past 49 years by recounting our first fundraising total of $500 and informing us that (as of 2025) this total has grown by over $100.000.
Other guests at the assembly included several current Easterseals families who shared how their lives were positively impacted by Easterseals’s services. One mother commented, “No one wants to walk into Easterseals, but Easterseals makes it easy to walk in. They make hard things easier… We aren’t going to an appointment. We aren’t going to see a receptionist. We’re going to see friends. When we leave, we leave improved, educated, and equipped with what to do at home to continue to progress.”
Two Limestone graduates who currently work at the Easterseals Skills Academy, which teaches individuals with special needs to perform everyday tasks and gain independence, shared their experiences with some of these amazing kids. The graduates, Ariana Morgan and Katelyn Smith, discussed the fulfillment that they get from seeing these children gain the skills that they need and detailed the numerous ways that Limestone’s Easterseals program helped them realize that they wanted to work with people who have special needs full-time.
The assembly ended with a performance by the Unified P.E. class, in which students signed to the lyrics of “For Good,” an emotional ballad about friendship originally written for the musical Wicked.
Limestone will be hosting numerous events and activities to benefit Easterseals. These include a 3v3 basketball tournament, Rocketman beauty pageant, student/faculty basketball game, dodgeball tournament, and Vice Versa dance. For more information on event signup, check your email or talk to Mrs. Stout in room 318.
