South Alabamian

Annual Spring Jubilee is Saturday








Annual Spring Jubilee is Saturday



The Clarke County Association for Retarded Citizens, CCARC, will hold its eighth Annual Open House/Spring Jubilee on Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at their Day Training facility located at 501 Forest Avenue in Jackson.


The Open House/Spring Jubilee is CCARC’s annual fund-raiser as well as a day set aside to celebrate the capabilities of individuals with cognitive disabilities.


Kicking off the event at 8:30 a.m. will be the 2nd Annual 5k/1-mile Fun Walk. Registration is $15 and begins at 7:30 a.m. The race will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Trophies and cash prizes will be awarded.


The next event to kick off the celebration is the fourth Annual "Cruising for CCARC" charity ride sponsored by Clarke County Southern Cruisers at 10 a.m. Registration for this event will begin at 9 a.m. at Scogin Motors on Hwy 43 in Jackson. This will be a DICE RUN and prizes will be awarded for the Best Hand and Worst Hand. There will also be a 50/50 drawing and a raffle drawing. Call Bobby at (251) 246-2481, ext 4009 or (251) 275-8711 or Charles at (251) 246-7669, or visit their Web site at www.ccarc.com.


Gene Owens, columnist for the Mobile Register, will serve as emcee and tasting fare judge this year. Owens, a semi-retired journalist, will visit us from his home in South Carolina. He originated the grammar column "Bubba’s English" while with the Mobile Register and continues to write it in retirement. He has won awards at the national, state and local levels.


A Silent Art Auction will be from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Art items from across the county have been collected from businesses and individuals, including such items as oil paintings, china paintings, afghans and more.


The third Annual County-Wide Tasting Fare will be sponsored by the Jackson Woman’s Club this year. The theme for the event is "Spring". Participants will prepare a dish appropriate for the season as well as decorate their tables. They will be judged on two categories taste and presentation. Participates will also sell tastes of their dish after the judges have completed their task. Tasting Fare judges will be Jere Hough, WKRG 5 and Owens.


"Canines On Parade" is CCARC’s ‘unique’ event for the day. The Dog costume contest will begin at 1 p.m. behind the CCARC Annex office building. The three categories for judging are Most Talented, Best Costume and Best of Show. Registration is 10 am – 12:30 p.m. Tony McMilIan, a volunteer for Mobile Greyhound Adoptions, will be here to share information about greyhound adoptions as well as have a few of the dogs with him.


This years entertainment features "After 5" and "Renegade". Other special guests include Pine City Bluegrass and Antioch AME Praise Team. Come enjoy a variety of good music.


Other events include games for all ages, food, door prizes and a whole lot of fun.


CCARC will also sponsor a yard sale. All proceeds from the Yard Sale will directly benefit CCARC’s Fresh Start program, which is designed to support individuals with cognitive disabilities by providing them items needed to help them live own their own, in their own homes or apartments. If you wish to donate items to the Fresh Program, please contact our office at (251) 246-3000.


Clarke Co. People First (CCPF) will sponsor horse/buggy rides, a plant sale and will be selling tickets for a $100 raffle drawing. Also attending on behalf of CCPF will be Joe Meadows, Director of Consumer Empowerment with the Alabama Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation and Jeff Ridgeway, president of People First of Alabama.


The Open House/Spring Jubilee event provides the community with an opportunity to meet many of the people supported by CCARC and to provide families and volunteers a chance to become actively involved CCARC’s mission. The event also kicks off the annual CCARC membership drive and people wishing to join may do so at the membership booth or by mail.


CCARC is a private non-profit agency and is a local chapter affiliated with The ARC/Alabama and The ARC/US.


In April 2001, CCARC became the only agency in Alabama to be accredited by The Council on Quality and Leadership, an international accrediting body. CCARC was again reviewed for accreditation by staff from The Council the end of March, 2003. It was this review that determined CCARC receive a "three-year with distinction" accredited status. Achieving accredited status from The Council recognizes CCARC as an innovator of services for people with mental retardation.


CCARC’s decision to strive for accredited status was born out of a philosophical change in the way CCARC provided services. One of the greatest impacts this philosophical change has made, has been a dramatic increase in how people with disabilities have begun to self-advocate for their right to make decisions about issues that concern them. Receiving the accredited status also demonstrates the wonderful community support that CCARC has enjoyed for over thirty years.


For more info., registration forms, volunteer opportunities, etc., call CCARC at 251/246-3000 or visit their Web site at www.clarkearc.com.





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