Peters Township event benefits Always B Smiling activity center

As she spoke to a substantial crowd of people gathered on a bright Sunday morning, Kristin Huibregtse had difficulty holding back tears.

“I know Bennett’s smiling down at all of this,” the South Fayette resident said, “and I’m just so happy and just love everybody here.”

The occasion was the second annual Miles for Smiles event, a fundraiser for the nonprofit Always B Smiling organization that she and husband Dean established in memory of their late son.

“Our mission is to create smiles for children, young adults and families struggling with health challenges and disabilities. It’s that simple and yet that tough,” Dean said. “Kristin and I know what it’s like. We lived that for 16½ years with Bennett, and we are committed to supporting and growing our programs and services.”

Miles for Smiles took place at TAR Outdoor Storage, located along the Montour Trail in Peters Township. Tom Robinson, who also owns TAR Driveway Supplies on McLaughlin Run Road in Bridgeville, joined his wife, Jeannie, and other members of their family in hosting the event.

“Kristin and Dean are infectious,” Jeannie said. “They’re wonderful people, and what they do for children and adults with disabilities, I want our family involved in it, our whole family. And we want to keep it going and see where it takes us.”

The Huibregtses have been raising money toward building an accessible, safe and sensory-friendly interactive activity center, and plans call for it to be located on TAR Outdoor Storage property.

Miles for Smiles featured opportunities for running, walking, biking and other means of travel, with participants going as far as they liked along the trail and back, up to 5 kilometers. The distance for a 116-yard dash for children was established because of the age that Bennett Huibregtse lived to be.

Among other Always B Smiling activities are weekly adaptive bicycle rides, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays through Oct. 30 at the Tandem Connection in Cecil, also along the Montour Trail. The adaptive bicycle is powered by a trained volunteer, and the 9-mile ride concludes with ice cream and craft activities.

For more information, visit alwaysbsmiling.org.