Students organize Valentine’s dance for individuals with disabilities
By Nick Bainbridge // News Editor
The Student Council for Exceptional Children, or SCEC for short, is a group dedicated to improving the lives of people in High Point who live with disabilities.
This past Valentine’s Day, the SCEC hosted its sixth annual Valentine’s Day Dance. By working in cooperation with High Point Parks and Recreation, they were able to use the Morehead Recreation Center in the city of High Point to host the party. The event gives people with disabilities the unique opportunity to be surrounded by people they can relate to, who have had similar experiences.
“The purpose of the dance is for adults with disabilities in High Point to come together and have fun with people who are most like them,” explained SCEC member Erin Scerra. “It’s a chance for them to feel free to be themselves without judgement.”
The Morehead Recreation Center was filled with festive activities for the guests to participate in. Colorful hearts dotted the walls, and red ribbons hung from the windows, bringing a cheerful spirit to the building. Attendees could go to the craft stations and make Valentine’s Day themed creations with markers, colored paper, beads, balloons and all manner of resources.The partygoers worked with the event organizers to make paper hearts and other gifts for their loved ones. A large section was set aside for dancing and taking photos with friends and family.
The Valentine’s Day dance for individuals with disabilities is not the only project that the Student Council for Exceptional Children hosts. The organization also hosts two other parties per year for Christmas and Halloween. The HPU Student Council for Exceptional Children has been hard at work for six years to create special events for members of the High Point community.
The efforts of the HPU students that have dedicated themselves to this project have been invaluable to ensuring that the party accomplished its goal of strengthening the community bonds in High Point.
Scerra said, “Without all the volunteers and organizations that came out to help, the dance would not have been as successful as it was.”