[shareprints gallery_id=”37618″ gallery_type=”filmstrip” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”xlarge” image_padding=”0″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” captions=”true” comments=”true” sharing=”true”]Did you know that “Jingle Bells” was actually written for a Thanksgiving celebration?
Google it. See for yourself.
But does this distinction really matter much? Doesn’t Turkey Day pretty much kick off the holiday season, setting the tone for the familial joy and social revelry that is characteristic of the next month or so? (Afterall, by New Year’s Day don’t we all appreciate a long winter’s nap?)
For many teens and adults with special needs in Naperville and the surrounding areas, Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA) is Party Central during the holidays. Here’s the line up…
It starts with our very own Thanksgiving dinner. Two days before the actual holiday we cook the bird and all guests bring a dish to share. Laughter and friendship abound!
Then, with just ten days to work off the “stuffing” and fit into our holiday finery, it’s the Holiday Dinner Dance – our biggest social event of the year featuring the crowning of the Holiday King and Queen.
A Saturday evening adventure to Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic is planned for mid-December. The following afternoon, we will bake and decorate holiday cookies. The weekend after that includes a holiday dinner with friends and a leisurely (and warm!) drive in the WDSRA bus to scope out the holiday lights in the neighborhood. (Who needs a one-horse open sleigh?)
Finally, we will ring in 2015 (WDSRA-style – only one day early) with the New Year’s Eve Extravanganza!
WDSRA helps individuals with disabilities to connect to the community in positive ways, contributing to social-emotional well being. Think of it as “making spirits bright!”
For more information about WDSRA, visit www.wdsra.com.
