A man and a special Conejo Valley Days idea - a morning of free carnival rides for severely handicapped children. That man was Jim Ellis, who moved from the Atlanta area to Thousand Oaks around 1980, bringing with him memories of a special day his Jaycee group had sponsored at a local carnival.

After seeing Conejo Valley Days, he approached Mike O'Beirne, the 1981 CVD co-chairman, with his special idea. The 1981 CVD Chairman, Jerry Morris, immediately jumped at the idea. He had a son attending Dean Triggs School - the school immediately adjacent to the CVD site and the district's facility for "special" (handicapped) children. After gaining the enthusiastic approval of the carnival owner, CVD approached Maxine Crossley, the Dean Triggs principal, who gave her blessing. In 1982, approximately 50 children participated in the first CVD Special Kid's Day - rides and drinks and the petting zoo.

Every year since, Morris' son and the other students have looked forward to the excitement of Conejo Valley Days, crowding near the fence to watch the set up of the big tents and the equestrian practice sessions. Another tradition continues to this day - each child is accompanied by one or more volunteers drawn from service clubs and companies throughout the area. And the Elks Lodge carried in its tradition ofproviding lunch for all the kids and volunteers. Shamrock Shows, the carnival company, donates its employees' time, provides prizes and opens up Kidz Korner.

Jim Ellis served as the first chairman and took on the job of raising money to support Special Kid's Day by asking for $20-per-person donations to "sponsor" a kid. That funding strategy continued for several years.

In 1985, Zonta Club of Conejo Valley took over chairing the event. The club added costumed characters who wandered amongst the children, much to their delight. These again are volunteers who shake their paws and share hugs with the special kids. Today, Special Kid's Day draws more than 450 handicapped children from the Conejo Valley and surrounding school districts.

For more information, online registration or to offer a donation, please visit Zonta Club of Conejo Valley's website.