Spring Fling dance in East Germantown promotes inclusivity for adults with disabilities in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- More than 100 people poured into the Belfield Recreation Center in East Germantown to show their best dance moves on Wednesday. The inaugural Spring Fling, hosted by My Choice for Living and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, included participants from 10 different residential and day service programs for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Dante McKie was among the enthusiastic dancers. He said he values events that bring together community members with disabilities, adding it's a chance to make new friends.
"It helps people get together and build their self-esteem up," McKie, who has autism, said.
Musa Sulaiman, operations coordinator at My Choice for Living, said the event has been planned for nearly a year. He said his organization asked residents what kind of programming they would like to see, and people agreed that it would be fun to have a Spring Fling. They also had a successful Valentine's Day dance a few months ago.
"We're promoting physical health, peer-to-peer interaction, community inclusion," Sulaiman said.
For Sulaiman, the Spring Fling Dance held personal significance, as his brother Yaseen has Down syndrome. Sulaiman said he's learned a lot about people with disabilities from his brother.
"They're just like everybody else," he said. "They love to have fun. They love to spend time with family and friends. So the more that we can create environments where they can integrate ... I think is very important."
The event served as a seasonal celebration that left a lasting impact on attendees.
