By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

For Meadow View Elementary School kindergartener Abram Duncan, the morning of Oct. 4 brought many firsts.

“Today was the first time he had ever ridden a bus, so that was a big event. We were there to take lots of pictures,” said Duncan’s aide, Paula Harper.

Duncan, who uses an electric wheelchair for mobility, was one of about 150 special-needs students from the Shelby County and Alabaster school systems who spent the day at Alabaster’s Veterans Park during the Alabaster Park and Recreation Department’s seventh-annual Fall Fling.

During the festival, the elementary- and intermediate-aged kids took part in several activities ranging from arts and crafts and inflatable games to beanbag tosses and fishing. The event also featured Kona Ice and rocking music filling the park.

A smile spread across Duncan’s face as he and his classmates took part in a ring toss game.

“He has never done anything like this before,” Harper said.

Volunteers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and Farmers Insurance manned the activities at the event, and Covenant Classical School sponsored a volunteers’ lunch.

“This is a highlight of the year for the kids,” said Alabaster Senior Adults and Therapeutic Manager Alicia Walters. “We always get positive feedback from all the schools. You always see smiles on all the kids’ faces.”