News

The Seneca County Opportunity Center thanks the community

By Hannah Hawk, Seneca County Board of DD PR Coordinator

Seneca County Commissioner Bill Frankart, center, paused for a photo with Cindy Moyer, left, and Wendy Thome. Moyer is president of the self-advocacy group, Unity. “All the proceeds from this event go to the Unity conference. I love it. I look forward to it every year,” Moyer said. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The Seneca County Opportunity Center (SCOC) would like to thank community members, volunteers and local officials for celebrating March as Developmental Disability Awareness Month. The month of March is a very exciting time for the Opportunity Center with events such as Bakery BINGO, the Celebrity Basketball Game and the ACT Council Palm Sunday Drive-Thru dinner. SCOC would like to thank the community, businesses, volunteers and local officials who made these events possible.

SCOC Bakery Bingo drew its biggest crowd ever on March 26. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
Clockwise, from left, are Josette Heschel, Corleen Warner, Jill Depinet and Kayla Alt, who were among the over 300 people who supported the Opportunity Center at its bingo fundraiser on March 26. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The Seneca County Opportunity Center extends thanks to the Special Olympics Seneca Arrows athletes, local celebrities and the community members who attended the Celebrity Basketball game. SCOC would also like to recognize Heidelberg University for hosting the event and the New Riegel pep band and cheerleaders for partnering with the Seneca Arrows pep band and cheer squad to energize the crowd.

ACT Council is grateful for the outpouring of community support for their 66th Annual Palm Sunday Dinner.  There were approximately 700 dinners sold. SCOC is honored to have Cathy Faber, Calvert National Honor Society, many local community members and businesses that made donations or volunteered to make the dinner a success. There were a total of 56 baskets donated for the Easter Basket raffle.

 The SCOC gym was filled for Bakery Bingo with not a single seat left unfilled. There were approximately 300 people who attended, which is the largest turnout for the event so far. The money from Bakery Bingo goes towards Unity which is a self-advocacy group that plans a yearly conference by advocates for advocates.

Over 300 people vied for sweet prizes at SCOC Bakery Bingo on March 26. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Superintendent Lewis Hurst is overwhelmed with appreciation for the level of community engagement for disability awareness month.

“I want to thank the community for helping us actualize this year’s theme of ‘Building a Better Community,’” Hurst said. “We promoted awareness of the ability of individuals with developmental disabilities through services and supports offered at the Opportunity Center and supported by our local community. We are truly blessed to live in a community that supports the strengths of all people.”

Visit SCOC’s Facebook page to see pictures and videos from all the events at Seneca County Board of DD-Seneca County Opportunity Center.