Linda Heth always prepares herself for her annual meeting with one of her favorite people.
Wanting to look her best for such an important person in her life, she makes sure her smile is at the ready, wears a favorite blue-colored Christmas sweater featuring Santa Claus and his reindeer and, most importantly for her, has a piece of paper in her hand.
“I have a list,” Heth said as she greeted Santa Claus Tuesday with a hug and a big grin.
She was one of about 400 guests at the 47th annual Christmas party for children and adults with development disabilities held at the Italian Civic Club of Meadville.
The guests are from around the area including
the Arc of Crawford County, United Community Indepen-dence Program, Vallonia Indus-tries and other agencies that serve people with developmental issues.
Heth is hoping Santa will bring her a compact disk player with CDs, a music box, clothes and crafts this Christmas.
“He’s nice,” she said of her meeting with Santa. “I like to see him and the reindeer.”
Santa’s annual visit to the party is just one of the highlights of the annual party put on by the ICC.
“I like the food, the music and seeing my friends,” said Tracy Nichol of Saegertown who has been coming to the party for the past 25 years.
Each of the guests and their caregivers received a rigatoni dinner complete with meatballs, a salad and ice cream for dessert.
It takes about two days to prepare for the annual dinner, said Tiffany Fugate, the club’s manager. More than 80 pounds of pasta, 800 meatballs and untold gallons of sauce were prepared. Some 20 volunteers helped out with everything from cooking and serving to cleanup.
“I like helping others,” said Ashley Potter of Meadville who was helping serve Tuesday. Potter, a senior at Meadville Area Senior High School, is making volunteering with the disabled her senior year project. She’s hoping to go to college to become a special education teacher.
“It’s just a lovely crowd,” said John (Jocko) Stellato, the club’s vice president, who was helping out in the kitchen. “I love the kids and love the day.”
In addition to lunch and visit from Santa Claus, guests also get a small gift, fruit and candy and entertainment. It costs the club between $6,000 and $8,000 annually to put on the party.
The club raises money for it year-round through its more than 300 active members, who are of Italian descent, and its 1,200 social members.
The ICC started the countywide Christmas party for persons with developmental disabilities in 1961.
Though it’s a lot of work for the club and its members, the payoff is seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and adults at the party, according to Stellato.
“It goes to your heart,” he said.
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
What is Arc?
The Arc of Crawford County Inc. provides both residential and day programming services to 250 clients across Crawford County.
It offers both group home and independent living programs for its clients.
It also offers community-based life skills programs for clients.
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