More than 350 special needs students from Decatur, Hartselle and Morgan County schools participated in a dedicated fun filled day in conjunction with the Morgan County Sheriff`s Posse Rodeo, August 20 - 22, 2009. Through the courtesy of the Morgan County Sheriff`s Office, the more than 350 special needs students attending were offerred horseback rides,wagon and buggy rides, hay rides, stationary bull riding and steer roping, a petting zoo and a dunking booth. All of the children were provided with matching logo-bearing shirts, sheriff badges and cowboy hats. A picnic-style lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs served to highlight the day. More than 300 teachers and aides, Sheriff`s Office employees and community volunteers supported the event.

Volunteers manned a SNAP information booth at the August 20, 2009 special needs day and on the two following nights of the rodeo. Renderings and plans of SNAP were displayed, general information was provided, and questions were answered. Although no donations were solicited, some were volunteered. One in particular deserves mention. On the final night of the rodeo, a young girl - maybe 10 years of age, Haley Bowden from Tullahoma, Tennessee, somewhat reluctantly and acting alone, approached the SNAP booth. Standing silently for a moment, she then held out her small, clutched hand and said, " I don`t know if this will help, but I want to give it." In her hand were ten 5-cent coins (50 cents.) This was a tender and compelling moment for the SNAP volunteers manning the booth and serves to exemplify the compassion and inspiration for the "John Mark Stallings Special Needs Accessible Playground (SNAP) of Morgan County. SNAP will provide many fun filled days for 1700 special needs children in Morgan County alone, as well as for others in the region - even from other states - maybe from Tullahoma, Tennessee.