By Craig Allen
Nothing is ever accomplished unless you get organized, and Cobb’s Therapeutic Recreation Services is organized for tonight’s Super Bowl party.
The Falcons missed out but the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, have many fans in the metro area. And that includes some of the 25 or so special needs kids and young adults who will gather tonight at the Ward Recreation Center in Powder Springs to watch the game.
Organizers for this event are Tina Mitchell, the Therapeutic Recreation Services’ program coordinator, and Ann Bonds, TR programmer. The Therapeutic Recreation Services falls under Cobb’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department.
This is the third year the Ward Recreation Center will host a Super Bowl party for these special needs individuals and the volunteers who assist.
In addition to the volunteers and permanent staffers who help decorate the TV room for the game and supervise activities, several area restaurants will provide free party trays.
A lot of planning goes into an event like this, but it’s not the only activity Mitchell and her staff coordinates for participants in the Services’ numerous programs.
Although a service like this is ostensibly mandated by the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, few could deny that these programs benefit the community and might even exist without the ADA.
In fact, what Mitchell and her staff are able to accomplish throughout the year goes beyond the minimum for Cobb’s special needs kids and adults. For instance, just concluded last week were the Georgia Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies at the Cobb County Civic Center and Winter Games, planned and hosted by the Therapeutic Recreation Services.
Participants in each of the Services’ programs are required to register, pay fees, and adhere to the rules of behavior. Mitchell publishes a draft quarterly schedule of all recreation planned, which is finalized only after county review.
What makes Tina Mitchell, who has been at this for 25 years, do this? Speaking for herself, staff, and volunteers, Mitchell said, “We give these kids an opportunity where others can’t.”
Some of these opportunities include regular social clubs, where the members meet in smaller groups to practice social skills. They attend sporting events, from bowling to professional games, where they put the skills they’ve learned to use in larger settings.
Probably the most popular event is the Doris Sims Annual Spring Formal. This is a dinner and dance named for Doris Sims, who for a number of years provided free photographic services at the formal and who passed away a few years ago. Her husband, Bob, continues the tradition.
What new might be planned? Mitchell is thinking of expanding on the fact that they’ve done skits and plays. She wants to stage a stand-up comedy event at a real comedy club. Somehow, I think she’s going to make it happen.
Craig Allen has lived in Cobb County for 10 years. Reach him at alle3257@bellsouth.net
