Though Illinois does support special recreation programs for individuals with disabilities, there’s always a need for more financial assistance.
That’s why the West Suburban Special Recreation Association will be hosting its third annual Fallin’ For Our Stars fundraising event at Cheney Mansion in Oak Park on Oct. 16. The organization aims to raise $25,000—$10,000 more than the previous two fundraisers—to support programming and scholarships.
“It’s just a matter of getting the crowd there and demonstrating what a difference we make for so many people,” said Executive Director Marianne Birko, who has devoted 32 years to the agency.
One of 28 special recreational organizations in Illinois, the WSSRA was founded in 1976 to provide recreation services for children, teens and adults with disabilities.
“We try to provide anything you or I would do in terms of recreation,” Birko said. “We have sports programs including Special Olympics programming for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities and individuals in the autism spectrum.”
The program has helped benefit countless individuals, like 17-year-old Jack Butler, a young man with Down syndrome who has been involved with WSSRA programs since the age of three.
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“It’s allowed him to be active and to experience different sports—but it’s also given him the opportunity to meet other people and try new things,” said mother Lisa Masucci of Oak Park, who serves as co-president of the association and is also co-chair of the fundraising event.
Masucci said she has arranged for a small jazz combo from Oak Park River Forest High School to play at Fallin’ For Our Stars, which will also feature catered hors d’oeuvres, a beer tasting sponsored by Lagunitas Craft Beer & Wine Bar, a live auction with prizes including Bulls and Blackhawks tickets and a star pull allowing patrons to donate $20 to select stars from a decorated tree, each bearing a prize worth at least $25.
“All of us deserve to have the same recreational opportunities, and they would not be available to individuals with disabilities without these supported services,” Birko said.
Fallin’ For Our Stars will be held from 7-11 p.m. Oct. 16 at Cheney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park. Tickets are $100 each or two for $180. For more information, call (847) 455-2100 or visit www.wssra.net.