Mayor’s Column: Abilities Awareness Week
SPEAK (Special Needs Parents Educators and Kids) is the parent-faculty association for families with children with special needs in the Voorhees Township Public School District. Founded in March 2009, SPEAK addresses issues impacting special needs children living in our community by providing support, encouragement and important information and education for families and others who may be involved in the care of a special needs child.
SPEAK’s mission is to raise general awareness about children with disabilities and special needs while promoting understanding and acceptance within the local region. The group offers enjoyable, specifically designed social, educational and therapeutic programs and events for adults and children that are interactive, engaging, considerate and relevant.
Since its inception, SPEAK has initiated after-school sports programs, a group swim social event, educational presentations, a Creative Arts and Drama Program and an Annual Abilities Awareness Week.
Abilities Awareness Week will be off to a running start on Saturday, April 13, at SPEAK’s second annual All Abilities 5K Run and One Mile Run/Walk/Wheel at the Voorhees Middle School. This fundraising event is for both serious and recreational runners. Families are welcome to participate. Online registration is available until April 10 at www.LMsports.com. For more information on registration or sponsorship, or if you would like to make a donation, please contact event chair, Jaime Friedman at Jaime.friedman@icloud.com. All proceeds benefit SPEAK.
On Sunday, April 14, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Hope United Methodist Church, located at 700 Cooper Road, is hosting an exhibit of art work by children with disabilities and children who have created art work with the theme of abilities awareness. The art exhibit is open to the public. For more information on the art exhibit, please contact Juliana Maffei at speak@southjerseyspeak.org.
Beginning on April 15, Voorhees Township Public Schools will offer a week of programming to their students about people with disabilities. The elementary schools will present age- appropriate information on the disabled and encourage understanding and inclusion. Voorhees Middle School offers sixth graders the opportunity to experience the challenges of their disabled peers first hand on designated “Abilities Awareness Days,” as the popular interactive exhibit, now expanded to two days, returns to the school on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16 and 17. Exhibitors include Voorhees Pediatric Facility, Just 2 Moms, The Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Learning Resource Center, PATH and Voorhees Township Public Schools Special Services. With the help of these organizations, the students face physical challenges by performing tasks with assigned disabilities and confront familiar learning skills through the eyes of a child with various learning disabilities.
Eastern Regional High School is planning a week of instruction on what it is like to live with disabilities. Local parents of children with special needs are invited to the school on Monday, April 15 to speak with twelfth grade students, share experiences and answer questions. Any parent interested in participating in these presentations should contact SPEAK at speak@southjerseyspeak.org.
SPEAK hosts a community celebration of Abilities Awareness at the Playdrome Bowling Center, 1536 N. Kings Highway in Cherry Hill from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Join SPEAK for an enjoyable afternoon of bowling, pizza and snacks. Admission is $10 and reservations can be made by contacting Elena Luzi at eluzi@comcast.net.
Sunday, April 21, marks the close of Abilities Awareness Week with a 10 a.m. Mass in honor of Abilities Awareness Week at St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church, 27 Kresson-Gibbsboro Road in Gibbsboro. The pastor will be offering insight on the importance of inclusion of those with differing abilities and the blessings that the disabled bring to the community.
Additional community programming is in the planning stages. More information, including teaching resources, fundraisers and sponsorship information is available at SPEAK’s website, www.southjerseyspeak.org. Please contact SPEAK at speak@southjerseyspeak.org if your organization would like to celebrate Abilities Awareness Week.
** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary’s 9th Annual Spring Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, March 23 at Lions Lake Park. There will be games and a DJ at 10:30 a.m. The egg hunt starts at 11 a.m. Children from first through fifth grade are invited. Please bring your own baskets. Rain date is March 30.
** The 5th Annual Community “Walk 4 Family & Friends with Cancer” will be held on Saturday, April 20 at 8 a.m. at Connolly Park on Centennial Boulevard. Proceeds will benefit the Financial Assistance for Cancer Patients Program and Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Entry fee is $30 per person, $15 per child age 6 to 18 by April 18 or $30 the day of the event. For more information visit www.walk4family-friendswithcancer.org.
** The 9th Annual Wine Tasting to benefit the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Virtua Barry Brown Education Building, 106 Carnie Boulevard in Voorhees. The event features over 250 of the most interesting fine wines and craft beers from around the world, accompanied by gourmet delicacies. Wine experts and winemakers are available to answer questions. Ticket donations are $50 per person in advance or $60 per person at the door. For reservations, call 784–0615 or visit www.arvfevents.org. The foundation installs Teen Centers in hospitals throughout the country to bring hope, excitement and entertainment to teens facing difficult conditions while receiving hospital treatment.
