With Halloween just around the corner, kids are already excited dressing up in costumes, traveling from home to home asking for treats using the phrase “trick or treat.” But kids using wheelchairs have to crush this great enthusiasm due to their restricted mobility.
To make these kids’ dream come true, a team of volunteers and sponsors will be making costumes for an inclusive Halloween event which is slated to take place at Ripken Stadium this October. The aforesaid event is sponsored by Harford County government in collaboration with Aberdeen IronBirds and the Harford Center.
While children who use wheelchairs can take part in the event for free, it is worth mentioning here that the available space is limited. Those interested in participating need to send in their applications to the Harford County Office of Disability Services by Monday, September 9th.
You can fill in the application and check out more details by heading straight to this link to visit the county website.
The designs will be created by kids and they will be brought to fruition with the help of volunteers, who will leave no stone unturned in a bid to transform their dreams into costumes. These outfits will be made in such a way that they can be enveloped around a wheelchair without hampering its function.
The costume designing will kick off at 5 pm (noon) on Sunday, October 13th, and it will wrap up on Saturday, October 19th at 5 p.m. The next day, children will be able to check the fitting of their costumes and will be given a chance to go trick-or-treating with the entire community, which will be present from 4 to 7 p.m. Everyone will be allowed to go trick-or-treating.
Organization and business that wish to join a design team, volunteer, or contribute in the form of materials can get in touch with Rachel Harbin, Office of Disability Services by sending in their details at raharbin@harfordcountymd.
“Our vision is to create an unforgettable day for kids who use wheelchairs,” Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said.
Every child in the community needs to feel included and deserves a chance to participate in such activities with the rest of the kids, according to Glassman. Every child regardless of his/her abilities deserves to have memorable childhood experiences such as trick-or-treating, riding a bike, spending time at the award-winning Sensory Trail, or simply learning to play basketball, Glassman added.
The Glassman administration has focused on ensuring there are more recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Keeping in line with this, a few years ago the Harford County Office of Community Services brought iCanBike Camp, which is a five-day clinic that offers bike-riding instruction to individuals with disabilities. Each summer, the program invites 32 riders.
The Glassman administration was awarded the 2019 National Association of Counties’ Best in Category Award for the Schucks Road Sensory Trail, which is exclusively designed for people with sensory sensitivities. Moreover, Glassman has assigned land located at Schucks Road Park for Harford’s first Miracle League baseball field.
It is worth mentioning here that the field will be the first of its kind in the area. The field will serve as a place where people with different abilities and those using wheelchairs can play baseball games with their peers. You can visit the Harford County government website to check out more details about opportunities for citizens with disabilities.
