North Carroll Community School donates parachute

Carroll County Times
1/22/2010

From left: Kelly Sullivan and Don Rowe with North Carroll Community School students Zaria Lewis and Abby Saunders.

For the past two years, middle-grades students at North Carroll Community School have visited regularly with clients of The Arc of Carroll County, a nonprofit organization that advocates for, and works to provide support to, people with developmental disabilities and their families.

During these visits to The Arc facility in Westminster, students participate in adaptive physical education exercises with the clients.  On some visits, the group has also shared lunch and worked on art projects together.  In December, on one of the regularly scheduled visits, one of the exercises involved a large colorful parachute, with which a number of games were played.  During this visit, school staff learned that The Arc did not have a parachute to use on a regular basis.  Knowing how much the clients enjoy this piece of the equipment, the school was happy to purchase one and donate it to The Arc.

Don Rowe, The Arc Executive Director, and Kelly Sullivan, Arc client and North Carroll Community School volunteer, went to the school on January 7, to accept the gift on behalf of The Arc.  Remarks were made by Rachelle Saunders, school physical education teacher, and middle-grades students Zaria Lewis and Abby Saunders.

The partner program was started to give the students exposure to people with disabilities, as well as to give The Arc clients a chance to interact with those from the greater community.  What began as a partnership has blossomed into a friendship.  The students are as excited to travel to The Arc as the clients are to see them come.  The students and clients have come to know each other on a personal level, and have been able to greet each other and converse when meeting outside of their regular visits.  Both groups hope to maintain a long and productive relationship. 

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