At the beginning of 2018, the Knights of Columbus of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church set a goal. They wanted to raise $10,000 for the Dawson County Schools Exceptional Children department. As of the Oct. 15 board of education meeting, the organization has raised $8,700 and is expected to raise $12,000 by the holiday break in December. With the donations from the Knights, the Exceptional Children department has been able to provide a sensory room each at Riverview Elementary School and Dawson County Middle School, two at Dawson County High School and one in the works at Dawson County Junior High School. Sensory rooms are therapeutic spaces with a variety of equipment that provide special needs students with sensory input, helping them to calm and focus themselves. “Kids need sensory breaks,” said Exceptional Children Director Hershel Bennett. “They have a sensory diet to help them get through the day. Everybody on the board and everybody here has a sensory item they need in their diet. You may click a pen to think or you may have to have total quiet or you may have to have soft music in the background. That’s your sensory item. Well to help our kids succeed they provided sensory items.”