March 28, 2026
There’s something magical about a day when teens show up a little nervous, and leave a little bolder.
At our latest Challenge Accepted! event with Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs, our crew of teens stepped up and took on a range of funny, silly, and challenging roles. They weren’t just volunteers, they were scene partners, hype squads, photographers, and the very first friendly faces people saw walking in.
We had teens running a full nursing home scenario and a busy school environment. It was organized chaos in the best way- dogs trotting around, teens improvising scenarios, and everyone figuring it out together as they went.
And honestly? The dogs may have been the stars, but the teens absolutely stole the show.
My favorite moment of the day was one of those quiet, blink-and-you-miss-it victories. One teen had set a personal challenge: talk to strangers (a bold goal, if you’ve ever been a teenager…). They were thrown into the role of a greeter – becoming a handler and pup’s best friend for the day, and leading them through the test. Basically, jumping straight into the deep end. They crushed it. Smiling, chatting, welcoming people in like it was second nature.
No big announcement, no dramatic moment—just confidence growing in real time. By the end of the day, you never would’ve guessed it had been a challenge at all.
Also, petting a lot of very good dogs doesn’t hurt.
We’re so grateful to our volunteers for jumping in with open minds, that’s what Challenge Accepted! is all about. Not being perfect, not having it all figured out- but showing up, trying something new, and surprising yourself along the way
Until the next challenge – we’ll be ready.
Check back for future challenges @ Livelikesam.org/challenge-accepted
Alanna Reilly – LLS Program Coordinator
