This Thanksgiving Variety KC is 85 years young, and celebrating by looking at an eight decade legacy of service.
Today, we offer inclusive opportunities to over 500,000 kids annually. We live up to our name, VARIETY, because our kids represent a variety of special needs, a variety of equipment needed, and variety of abilities and dreams. Our most prized birthday gift is one we celebrate each day – making all Variety kids visible and included in our community.
How do we serve 500,000 kids each year? We have built five ALL-inclusive Playgrounds around KC and plan to open three more this year. We’ve built two adaptive baseball fields, equipped 21 grocery stores with Adaptive Grocery Carts, and protect reserved parking by displaying over 1,500 Inclusive parking signs in ALL city-owned parking garages, lots, schools, and sports complexes.
We’ve created an impressive list of FIRSTS throughout the years, particularly in this past year and the year prior.
The FIRST:
- Free inclusive exercise video series featuring kids of all abilities.
- To buy sled hockey and adaptive walkers to participate in ice sports at KC rinks.
- To provide innovative harness systems to KC, including first building to be fully harnessed. (Changes the way therapy will be delivered in the future!)
- Inclusive Zoo Exhibit.
- Inclusive KC Photo Shoot showcasing kids with a variety of disabilities.
- Campaign for adult sized changing tables – we aren’t afraid to talk “potties.”
- To be partnering with an international airport – bring the FIRST inclusive family waiting for KC’s new airport.
It’s not all about being first, but it is about time! It’s about time we stand up to include this population of kids into our communities….and stop at nothing to make sure Every Child Can be Active, Be Social and Belong!
# VarietyInclusionRevoution
