FROM PETE DOROUGH
PRATTVILLE YMCA FIELD OF DREAMS
PHOTOS BY BOB EALUM – ELMORE AUTAUGA NEWS
Love is in the air! A recent planned Valentine’s dance for participants of the Prattville YMCA was held, with great success. Initially, it looked like a rainy night would stop the festivities. The the clouds parted. And so started a reunion of friends and players for a few hours of fellowship, surprises and memories.
Being a dad of an autistic son for the last 31 years has taught me that there’s a group of people in life that get left out of a lot of things. Sometimes, this world pushes folks that are not the typical “normal” into their own category, which leads them to be excluded so many times.
But Saturday was a night for all those special folks. It was a day to just have fun and show the true definition of LOVE. The Prattville YMCA Ability Program had their annual Special Friends Valentine’s Dance at the beautiful Sunset Ridge Barn Wedding and Events Center on Upper Kingston Road and it didn’t disappoint.
From the very youngest to the oldest, approximately 300 participants and family members had nothing but smiles all around. Volunteers from several organizations helped serve pizza, cupcakes and sweets to everyone to top off the dance music that had them all moving. This was love in its most pure form. Helping others, spending time laughing, smiling and dancing, no cares about who dressed the most glamorous or who didn’t, this was time to have fun and spend time making memories.
That’s what the Ability Program is all about. This dance kicks the year off for the program as the baseball season will start next month. Last year saw 157 participants, with 12 teams, but this year looks to be even bigger. A year of fun, a year of memories, another year of feeling “normal” because I play baseball like everybody else. Isn’t that what life should be?
It is everyone being treated the same, learning from each other, helping each other, and becoming a better person for it. It is watching the courage, the drive, the personal battles that each one overcomes should serve as a lesson. It is a lesson that could help each and every one of us, showing that maybe that bad day we had, maybe it isn’t so bad. Maybe “normal” could learn a lot from those who normally get excluded. I encourage everyone to come and see at least one game this year. It could and will change your heart and life for the better.
For all inquiries to the Prattville YMCA Ability Programs please reach out to June Dorough @ 334 558 1367 or email [email protected] . To inquire about Sunset Ridge Barn Wedding and Events for your next event please reach out to the Perry’s at 334 558 2348 or email [email protected]
Thank you to the Prattville Civitan Club, Holtville Jr. Civitan Club, DeeDee Calhoon, Jessica Sanders with Juvenile Court Services, Kyle Shirley, Dow and Jessica Perry, The Sweet Hook-Up and several individuals within the community for all of the donations. Our Programs would not be possible without you!
