As a child growing up in foster care, Cathy Pearson treasured a happy memory of the time she road on a parade float with other members of her soccer team.
Pearson said bouncing between foster homes and a neglectful biological family from age 2 to 16 gives her more insight than most people about the trials that face kids in the foster care system.
Now a foster parent herself in Eagle Point, Pearson and her husband, James, hope to recreate her cherished memory for some 50 current and former foster children who will ride in a giant red wagon in this Saturday's Pear Blossom Parade.
Embracing this year's parade theme, "Famous Pairs," the Pearsons and two dozen foster care advocates, including children and their families, have crafted a 14-foot Radio Flyer wagon.
Embracing the children's classic duo, "Dick and Jane," their parade entry will be packed with storybook posters.
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"This wagon will be filled with kids who have seen too much and know too much and who have missed out on the 'American dream' of a happy childhood," Pearson said.
"My husband and I just felt like these kids needed a moment to shine. We felt like this was a way they could be a part of something and have fun and just be kids."
"Just having fun" is what the Pearson's 13-year-old foster son, Cody, hopes to do this weekend.
"I'm very excited to be there and pass out candy and stuff," said the boy.
He grew more serious when asked about the meaning of the float.
"It's about foster parents and foster kids and to get more people to want to be foster parents so kids can all have a home," he said. "I think people just think it's too hard to have bigger kids so they don't take them. My mom started doing bad things and I got put in foster care and I hope more kids find a family like I was able to."
Trail foster parent Shannon Morris said her own foster kids were looking forward to their day in the spotlight.
"We think it's awesome"¦ I think it symbolizes a childhood that some of these kids have lost," Morris said.
"I don't think people have any clue how many children are in need of homes through foster care. I hope this gets more people to become foster parents"¦ and I hope our kids have a great time, because they deserve to."
Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at buffypollock@juno.com.
This weekend's 54th annual Pear Blossom Festival includes a number of events starting today. u There will be a street fair in Alba Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information call 890-4043. u The Pear Blossom Run will bring runners from all over Southern Oregon to Medford Saturday morning. The 5k run starts at 7 a.m. The 1-mile Mayor's Cup run begins at 8 a.m. The 10-mile run starts at 8:35 a.m., and the 2-mile walk-run begins at 8:40 a.m. For more information, call 535-1205. u The Pear Blossom Parade starts at 11 a.m. For more information call 734-7327.
