[Archived] Saturday Ribbon-Cutting Scheduled For City’s New Therapeutic Recreation Program Facilities

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	November 16, 2006 PIO# 250-06/rdo	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

SATURDAY RIBBON-CUTTING SCHEDULED FOR CITY’S
NEW THERAPEUTIC RECREATION PROGRAM FACILITIES
Program Promotes Healthy Leisure and Recreational Activities
for Children and Adults with Disabilities

The City of Alexandria will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, to celebrate the official opening of the newly renovated and expanded space for City’s renowned Therapeutic Recreation Program. The program will include entertainment and tours of the new space, located at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson Street.

“The sensory room is a much-needed resource for children with disabilities in Alexandria,” said David Cordell, whose son participates in the Therapeutic Recreation Program. “My son Sam and many others like him are already benefiting from the sensory input provided by the equipment in this room. From the bubble tubes to the waterbed, this room has it all.”

The Therapeutic Recreation Program provides services and activities that facilitate independent leisure involvement, promote socialization, teach recreation-activity skills, and increase self-confidence. The program seeks to enhance the lives of Alexandria residents by promoting knowledge and participation in healthy leisure and recreational activities for children and adults with disabilities.

The program’s new space includes an updated activity room for classes and programs and offices for staff. A new multi-sensory environment room – an area where lights, sound, and a variety of special effects can be directly controlled by participants or set to run automatically – is equipped with the latest sensory integration activity stations. The Kelley Cares Foundation, established to honor the memory of Kelley Swanson, a former volunteer for the Therapeutic Program, provided funding for the multi-sensory environment room.

The Lee Center is served by DASH transit line #7. For route and schedule information, call 703-370-DASH or visit www.dashbus.com.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information on the ceremony, or to request a reasonable accommodation or receive materials in an alternative format, please contact the Therapeutic Recreation Program at 703-519-3353.

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