The month of March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
Nadine Weininger, with the Blanchard Valley Center, is calling on Hancock County residents to show their support by participating in a county-wide Spirit Week March 14 – 18.
“In the month of March we take the opportunity to educate the community on the services and supports the county board provides to more than 700 individuals in Hancock County with developmental disabilities.”
As Nadine mentioned in the audio above, the month is also about highlighting the individuals supported and the barriers they continue to break down on a daily basis.
She’s hoping Hancock County residents show their support through Spirit Week as a way of embracing a community culture of inclusion and that each person is valued for who they are.
You can learn more about Spirit Week in the post below from Blanchard Valley Center.
In addition to Spirit Week, Blanchard Valley Center also has other events planned for March and Nadine provided the following information.
On 3/23, we are holding a Dinner & Dialogue from 5:30-7 pm to share with people with developmental disabilities and their families our innovative Smart House that will be put to use, very soon. The smart house is comprised of assistive technology to allow a person with a developmental disabilities to live there temporarily and explore the idea of living independently. On the night of the Dinner & Dialogue, there will be guest speakers from Safe in Home, who sells the assistive technology equipment, to explain the benefits and uses of the tools and resources available. In additional, there will be a tour of the Smart House, following the presentation.
On 3/25, we will be holding a ribbon cutting with our local Chamber of Commerce for the Smart House at 3 pm. The entire community is invited out to get a tour of the home and learn more about the modern way for people with developmental disabilities to live independent lives.
On 3/29, we will be holding our Celebrity Basketball Game! After a two year hiatus, we are so excited to bring this event back. With a new location, the Findlay High School Gymnasium will be filling up with friends and families of the individuals supported through the Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Special Olympics athletes are teaming up with local celebrities to participate in a friendly, slightly competitive game of basketball. We will have a fantastic flash mob, led by our Special Olympics cheerleaders. The event is free! Door will open at 6:30, event starts at 7. We hope to see you there!