Spring time brings renewal. Flowers bloom, the days are longer and warmer, and the world seems brighter and full of hope as it awakens from the long winter.
It might seem strange to talk about this as we prepare for the year-end holiday season but hear us out, because spring time provides the perfect backdrop for a time-honored rite of passage that many teens and young adults eagerly anticipate… Prom!
At Matheny, our mission to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex disabilities extends to offering life-enhancing experiences for celebration, growth, and the making of indelible memories. The Matheny Prom is one of the most eagerly anticipated and beloved events of the year.
Excitement builds as students and residents over the age of 16 shop for formal wear, receive professional hair and make-up services, and prepare for an evening of dancing, dining, and socializing with their peers, family members, and volunteers from the community.
The Matheny Prom is just like any prom across America in that it features a theme and festive decorations, DJs spinning tunes, formal photographs, the crowning of a King and Queen, and a special meal. But what makes it unique is our prom goers roll to the beat, foods are specially prepared to accommodate dietary needs, and family members and staff attend alongside participants, sharing in the joyful evening.
Family members get as much delight out of witnessing clients engage in this meaningful tradition as the clients themselves. To clients, it is more than a night of celebration on a warm spring evening, but a rare chance to feel special and shine. To their families, it is a milestone they thought their child might not get to experience, and the world does indeed seem like spring time: brighter and full of hope.
What did your prom mean to you? Do you have any special memories of this milestone? This #GivingTuesday please help us keep the tradition of the Matheny Prom alive for our students and residents. It’s never too early to #ThinkSpring!
#ThinkSpring #DanceLikeNoOneIsWatching #MathenyProm #EnrichingLives #GrowingAbilities #InclusionWorks #MathenyRecRocks
