"Whatever he's involved in," Moana Dalton said, "everyone he comes in contact with becomes his lifelong friend."

"Eddy made sure everyone felt included. He made all of us realize we are children of God," said 16-year-old Dalton Allen, who took Hughes' dance class.

Dancing boosted a younger Eddy Hughes' confidence, too.

He was born in Maryland to a father who Hughes said "always thought the grass was greener on the other side." By the time he was 18, Hughes had moved 65 times.

In West Virginia at 16, he stood afraid at an LDS youth dance. "I sat as a wallflower. When I went home and told my dad I didn't dance, he said, 'I'll teach you how to dance the jitterbug and two-step.' "

The next weekend at another dance, Hughes and a younger sister showed off their steps. He became popular overnight and won several dance-offs. Dark times with an unpredictable father threatened to overshadow his personal success.

To bolster his confidence, his mother, Patricia, told him, "Eddy, when you grow up, you will go to college. You'll be great at everything you do. You'll be a great husband." He went on to get an engineering degree from BYU and married Karyn Garza.

On Wednesday, the community reminded Eddy Hughes of his own potential for greatness. People held up posters saying "Way to Go Eddy!" and "We Believe."

Alternating between tears and smiles, Hughes wheeled down the track as his supporters followed and cheered him on.

E-mail: jpallen@q.com