Stephanie’ Day is an annual resource event held specifically for special needs individuals and their families. The event is hosted by CBS 11 and TXA 21 in Dallas and was held at the NorthPark Mall. I really enjoyed volunteering at the booth for the Arc of Dallas and the Arc of Denton. At the booth I handed out printed information and answered questions. Most of you already know that I am a spokesperson for the Arc of Texas. With 37 Arc chapters in the state of Texas, there is never any shortage of events to spread their message of vision (“Creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be included in their communities and make the choices that affect their lives”) and my own message of hope; V.I.P. C.H.I.C. (Very Influential People Creating Hope for the Intellectually Challenged). While at the booth I met Clay Boatright (Board President of Arc of Dallas) his wife, Carole and their twin daughters Mia and Paige. Mia and Paige are very energetic, loving, beautiful and autistic. They are a wonderful family and I hope to get to know them better in the future. During one of my breaks, I walked around the fair checking out the other organization’s booths. I was so excited to see that Morgan’s Wonderland had a booth, and I finally got to meet Anne Bristol, Director of Development for Morgan’s. Where ever I go, the topic of Morgan’s Wonderland always comes up and thanks to Anne, I always have a brochure to hand out. For the past seven years, Stephanie’s Day has helped get the word out about organizations and programs available to families right in their own community . You can bet that next year V.I.P. C.H.I.C. will also have a booth!
