COEUR d'ALENE - When the TV stars come out at Tesh, a constellation of smiles beams back at them.

Tesh, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities reach their potential, hosted its 10th annual Celebration of Stars Thursday, featuring KHQ Channel 6 personalities Dave Cotton and George Maupin.

But the real stars are the Tesh clients.

"Hi folks," boomed Cotton as he made his grand entrance into Tesh, holding up his smartphone as it scanned the cheering audience. "We're live on KHQ.com!"

Cotton, who has headlined the Celebration of Stars show since its inception in 2003, wasn't promoting his station as much as he was letting the Tesh crowd know how they could see and hear themselves a little later in the afternoon.

And what an afternoon it was.

For the better part of two hours, Cotton and Maupin entertained the crowd of about 75 clients with jokes - some of a self-deprecating nature - and even song (the duo combined on an impromptu rendition of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild"), but they started off on a serious note.

"You're so loving," Cotton said. "We love the hugs, the high fives, we love the smiles."

"We love you all so much and we want to recognize another year of you working so hard," Maupin said to a chorus of cheering.

Celebration of Stars began a decade ago when Tesh commemorated its 25th anniversary, said MaryBeth Ranum, the organization's operations director, but it has grown into much more than a simple anniversary event.

Each client gets called to the front of the room, where a gift - this year it was an insulated lunch bag - and hugs from Cotton and Maupin await.

"They look forward to it like Christmas," said Ranum, who then mimicked excited clients: "When's Celebration of Stars? When's Celebration of Stars?

"I just love the honest happiness they have for each other."

Russ Doumas, Tesh CEO, said the celebration is the star of the year.

"I would put it right at the top of all the events Tesh sponsors," he said. "The clients are front and center. This is about their accomplishments. They have such joy and such a sense of pride - they encourage each other to be the best they can be."

It's all about the clients, but Cotton and Maupin clearly crank up the excitement. They announce each client's name in grand fashion, and even after all these years, sometimes the client seems stunned to be formally recognized in front of the whole Tesh family.

Nobody gets left out. Before collecting their gift and celebrity hugs, clients are high-fived left and right heading toward the podium. Before they mug for the many cameras that are capturing their elation, they're often mobbed lovingly by family and friends. Some have arms outstretched, like they've just won the heavyweight championship of the world.

In their own way, maybe they have.