Special Needs Parade Brings Joy to Students, Families
Wilmington, North Carolina, November 2, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Halloween comes but once a year; promising costumes, candy, and a few spooks along the way. Yet for Vanessa Bishop’s special needs class at Codington Elementary in Wilmington, North Carolina, there’s another October tradition that takes the cake.
This year marked the 4th Annual Halloween Costume Parade put on by Codington Elementary and 101 Mobility. Being held on the school grounds October 29, Ms. Bishop’s class was able to show off their unique handmade costumes to the entire campus, all of which were custom-designed by 101 Mobility to fit their wheelchairs and walkers.
"It is a beautiful experience to see all of the general education students cheering on their friends who have mild-to-significant disabilities."
Vanessa Bishop, Teacher at Codington Elementary
“They matter,” said Sherrill Bowman, whose son Michael took part in the parade. “At the end of the day, they can’t walk door-to-door (for Halloween) like the other kids can. 101 Mobility comes in and makes the mothers, fathers, family, and the students feel special.”
Bishop’s eight students were able to choose their own costumes – Lightning McQueen from Cars, Minnie Mouse, Mother Goose, Glenda the Good Witch from Wizard of Oz, a firefighter, Peppa Pig, a fox, and even a “Harley dude.”
It was then up to 101 Mobility to come up with creative ideas for these costumes – all of which had to pair up with the students’ unique mobility devices.
“We researched adaptive costumes online and just brainstormed,” said Tammy Harrell, Creative Design Supervisor at 101 Mobility. “Then came the fun part, with drawing and cutting the costumes out of cardboard, painting, and embellishing. It’s amazing how perfectly everything fit together.”
After months of prep work and a few last-second revisions, the costumes were ready to be revealed. Students, parents, teachers, and spectators all lined the sides of the parking lot outside of the school, waiting in anticipation.
After a quick announcement from Bishop, the parade was underway. The crowd clapped and cheered as these children became celebrities for the day, waving and showing off their exclusive Halloween attire.
“It is a beautiful experience to see all of the general education students cheering on their friends who have mild-to-significant disabilities,” expressed Bishop after the parade.
“We work very hard at Codington Elementary to teach all of our students to accept and celebrate our differences. I am so thankful that the good people at 101 Mobility share the same vision. … I speak for the entire school community when I say, ‘Thank you, 101 Mobility!’”
About 101 Mobility
101 Mobility is a full-service franchise business that specializes in mobility and accessibility equipment. Products include stair lifts, ramps, auto lifts, patient lifts, pool lifts, bath lifts, vertical platform lifts, and more. Visit 101Mobility.com to learn more.
101 Mobility franchisees are supplied with geo-specific online marketing campaigns, in-person training, on-going support, and a proprietary business management platform. Visit 101MobilityFranchise.com to find more information about our franchise process.
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