Paso del Norte Children’s celebrates 75th anniversary with luncheon

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Paso del Norte Children's, a nonprofit organization providing services to children with special needs and their parents, celebrated its 75th anniversary Thursday.

Organization leaders, patients and their families, and other stakeholders gathered to celebrate the big milestone. ABC-7 proudly served as media sponsor for the event.

Also in attendance, Team Agar, the inspirational father-son duo that has completed more than 200 races, including an Ironman race. The son, Johnny Agar, was born with cerebral palsy. Doctors told his parents he would likely never walk or speak. Despite these challenges, Johnny and his father Jeff work together to bike, swim, and run. Jeff says he started training not because he enjoyed exercising, but because it was the only way to make his son's dream of competing as an athlete a reality. Now in his 20s, Johnny not only walks and competes as an athlete, he also travels the country, eloquently speaking to inspire others, proving the doctors wrong on both points.

Jeff Agar spoke at the luncheon about the ways the family surrounded itself with a competent team of supporters for Johnny. He pointed out the importance of vast support networks for children with disabilities, and praised Paso del Norte Children's for providing that network to Borderland children.

Paso del Norte started in 1948 as El Paso's first support provider for children with disabilities, specifically focusing on those with cerebral palsy. In its 75-year history, the organization has expanded to provide dozens of services, including Early Childhood Intervention, a Community Resource Center, an Inclusive Early Learning Center, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Pediatric Therapy.

As it celebrates its history, PdN is also focusing on its future. Coming soon to the Borderland, the organization will start Help Me Grow El Paso, a resource hub for families, coming later this year, and a new center in fast-growing East El Paso in 2024.

Consider donating today to support PdN Children's.