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Commissioners Declare March DD Awareness Month

Under the bright lights of the Scioto County Courthouse rotunda, the !MPACT team listened as Scioto County Commissioner Mike Crabtree read a proclamation declaring the month Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

“We urge all citizens to take time to get to know someone with a disability and ask: ‘What’s your story?’ Every person’s story holds a promise to educate and inspire others,” reads the proclamation. The commissioners voted Thursday on the resolution making March DD Awareness Month in Scioto County. Approval was unanimous.

The month is aimed at raising public understanding of developmental disabilities while also recognizing the contributions of people with developmental disabilities in our community. The !MPACT team certainly has contributed, clocking more than 20,000 hours as of December on volunteer projects countywide. After Tuesday’s meeting with the commissioners, the team was headed to the Portsmouth Salvation Army to serve lunch.

“DD Awareness Month is a great opportunity to discover, understand, and appreciate the contributions individuals with disabilities have made in making our community a better place to live, work, and grow,” said Scioto County Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Matt Purcell. “Scioto County DD appreciates the commissioners’ contributions to making DD awareness a priority in our county and region.”

Other local DD Awareness Month activities include:

- Participation in Portsmouth’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade this Saturday;

- The first annual basketball game between the Vern Riffe School Cardinals and Special Olympians based in Scioto County school districts. This event will be at Northwest High School on March 20;

- The annual Rivals Game, wherein the Vern Riffe School Cardinals take on Lawrence County’s Open Door School Jets at Ironton High School on March 22;

- And the highly anticipated Hardwood Heroes Celebrity Basketball Game at Shawnee State University on Saturday, April 7. Tipoff is at noon with a $2 admission. All funds raised support Scioto County Special Olympics athletes in meeting their goals in physical fitness and athletic competition.