By Andy Furman
Point/ARC
The five-month 50th anniversary celebration for The Point/Arc made its last stop Saturday at the DCCH barn in Ft. Thomas.
The event – the fourth annual Boots ‘n Brews featured The Marty Connor Band.
The Point/Arc commemorated the start of the 50th Year Celebrations with a Block Party in Covington.
A Pickleball Tournament – a first for The Point/Arc – was staged at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Crestview Hills in September.
“It’s been a wonderful run,” said The Point/Arc Founder and President, Judi Gerding.
“And it was truly made possible by our dedicated staff and certainly our loyal sponsors.”
Food, drink and music highlighted the festivities for Boots ‘n Brews – as well as the final countdown to the Grand Prize winner for the Raffle with 20 Reasons.
Media sponsor, WUBE Radio (105.1 FM) promoted the Boots ‘n Brews event, while iHeart Media served as the major sponsor for the 50th Anniversary Celebration.
“Sponsors are our backbone,” Gerding continued, “and we welcome some new ones with Boots ‘n Brews.”
Gravity Diagnostics, A&B Heating and Air Conditioning, The Forcht Bank, and Turfway Park were all new – first-time sponsors for the event.
“Who could have predicted that a sheer flicker of, ‘What can we do to make a better life for our children?’” Gerding said, “some 50 years ago.
“Who could have predicted it would result in an accepting and welcoming community for individuals with I/DD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) to thrive and be contributing members of our Greater Cincinnati community.
“Thanks to being introduced to parents who experienced these same challenges HARC (Helpers of all Retarded Children, 1968) was established in Campbell County.
“Four years later, after having established special education classes both at Woodfill and Ruth Moyer schools in Ft. Thomas and an adult work center at the Ft. Thomas Armory, we merged with the parent group of Good Counsel, who was formed 10 years prior at Mother of God and Corpus Christi School in Newport.
“These same parents in the ‘60s were responsible for the new Riverside Good Counsel School, located on Farrell Drive in Ft. Wright, Ky.”
Merging with them, June 6, 1972, becoming NKAR, the next five decades of leadership collectively have created integrated Educational, Residential, Social and Vocational programs that have earned Northern Kentucky its current reputation of having many of the best inclusive programs in the Commonwealth and Greater Cincinnati for individuals with an intellectual/developmental disability.
“Thanks to an extremely generous community, all Point/Arc programs continue to grow year after year,” Gerding said.
The Point/Arc