Schafer Sports Center, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and Princeton Public Schools Special Education PTOs are co-sponsoring a free event for the special needs community.
The event will take place on Dec. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Schafer Sports Center, 5 Graphics Drive, Ewing. It’s open to all ages and to everyone in the area, not just Princeton and Hopewell residents.
The event will include activities for children such as trampoline, gymnastics and games on the indoor turf field. For parents, an array of local resources and special needs experts will be present to help answer questions and provide support.
Shannon Schafer began taking an interest in special needs while she and her husband Jonathan ran Schafer Gymnastics.
“We are passionately committed to children with special needs, and their families,” Schafer said. “We insist on a culture that is compassionate and nurturing. We offer a range of programs, and place children where they will be most motivated and successful.”
When the Schafer’s created and opened the Schafer Sports Center, they continued to expand their support of the special needs community.
“One reason I am president of the Hopewell Valley Special Needs PTO is that I have special needs myself,” said Alicia Nayfield. “Parents and kids need to be OK with who they are and know there are pathways to success. Shannon Schafer really gets that—she creates pathways for success for kids.”
Joan Spindel and Lindsay Kruse, co-presidents for the Princeton Special Education PTO are working on increasing communication, collaboration and community involvement through the Princeton Special Education PTO.
“All children are extraordinary with diverse capabilities,” Spindel said. “Our goal is to foster a community of inclusion so all children can excel.”
Kruse echoed Spindel’s statement, adding that it is also important for parents to have the resources to best support their children.
“Parenting can be a challenging job for all parents, but parenting a child with special needs can add additional stress,” Kruse said. “If we can ease some of that stress by having a lot of different resources in one room, we are excited to do that.”
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