05/18/2026
THANK YOU to the incredible Tough Kids Challenge Committee — Savannah Pettenati, Regina Bouchard, Kate Carpenter, Darren Nunes, Kathryn Levesque, Turner Ryan, Becky Ryan, Kristen Wiley — and all of the spouses and family members who worked tirelessly all day Saturday and Sunday to make this event happen!
Two days, 15+ hours of grueling work, endless sunburns, heavy lifting, and nonstop effort — all made worth it by the hundreds of smiling faces crossing that finish line.
On behalf of the entire TKC committee:
💚 A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who came out Saturday for setup and Sunday for breakdown. To the moms and dads who stepped up to move, assemble, and disassemble countless obstacles and pieces of the course after a long day of volunteering — this event truly could not happen without you.
💚 Special shout-outs to Brandon Bouchard and Turner Ryan, who assembled and disassembled obstacles by hand all day Saturday and Sunday, and to Chris Arruda of AP Construction, who is like a well-oiled machine making sure the obstacles are assembled safely and efficiently every year. And also to Darren Nunes, every year for ensuring the mud pit is constructed, assembled, and MUDDY! Without this core group - these iconic, crowd favorite obstacles wouldn’t be possible!
💚 To Long Moving & Storage LLC and their phenomenal crew that help move and relocate all of the equipment and pieces to/and from WES- we absolutely couldn’t do this event without you. You were most professional, respectful, hard working group we could have asked for!
💚 We also want to recognize the amazing Westport high school volunteers and the Westport Fire Explorers-Post 774, who showed up all day Saturday for setup, worked the obstacles all day Sunday, AND stayed afterward to help disassemble the event. In the heat, without complaints, they worked tirelessly and did whatever needed to be done. These young volunteers could have been anywhere else, but they chose to show up for this community event — and we are beyond grateful.
💚 Thank you to all of the volunteers who worked in shifts throughout the day to help the event run smoothly from start to finish.
💚 A huge thank you to the Westport Police Department and Westport Fire Department for everything they do to support this event each year — and especially to the Fire Department for keeping the mud pit perfectly muddy!
💚 A very special thank you to Erin Connors, who every single year waits at the finish line ready for muddy hugs from the kids as she hands out their medals. The kids look forward to seeing her smiling face as they run through that finish line, and it has become such a special part of the Tough Kids Challenge experience.
💚 Thank you to everyone who came out and took on the challenge (some more than once 😉) to earn those medals and make unforgettable memories.
💚 Special thanks to our amazing local supporters:
• CA Cabral Landscaping Supply for the mud
• Town Fair Tire for the tires
• Davol Farm for hay delivery and cleanup
• Wild Honey Cafe and The Head Town Landing Country Store for fueling our volunteers Sunday morning
• Just Your Way! for all signage and banner updates
• Golf Cart Solutions for helping us navigate the course each year
• ADA Entertainment for documenting the event and helping create an amazing keepsake for participants and families
• And of course our DJs, Tom Dube and Kyla J— your energy and enthusiasm brought this event to life!
💚 And one final, very special thank you to all of our sponsors who helped make this event possible. Please remember to support the businesses and organizations that support our community.
Here’s to an unforgettable 2026 Tough Kids Challenge! 💪🏅💚
