Dividends accrue from Penn College/BLaST community investment
Published 03.09.2023
“My Bike, My Stroller”
On Tuesday afternoon, residents from five area school districts gathered in appreciation for the pieces of adaptive equipment distributed free by Variety, the Children’s Charity.
BLaST – the acronym of which reflects its coverage area: Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties – partners with the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit in its My Bike, My Stroller and My Voice programs, the happy results of which were on display in the Field House.
College President Michael J. Reed and his wife, Christina Steinbacher-Reed, IU 17’s executive director, welcomed impacted families to the “My Bike, My Stroller” event.
The guests represented the Williamsport Area, Montoursville Area, Jersey Shore Area, Athens Area and Northern Tioga school districts (among the 19 served by BLaST), and were joined by local dignitaries in a celebratory parade.
“With a mission to empower children with disabilities to live life to the fullest, Variety the Children’s Charity provides life-changing mobility and communication equipment to ensure our most vulnerable kids are no longer left out, behind or excluded,” read a brochure available at the event.
“Simply, we’re helping kids be kids.”
“A Shot in the Dark”
That night, in conjunction with BLaST’s Deaf-Blind Resource Team, the college hosted a showing of “A Shot in the Dark,” a documentary film about Anthony Ferraro, a blind wrestler from St. John Vianney High School, and his inspirational pursuit of a New Jersey state championship.
The film was introduced by Steinbacher-Reed and her husband, parents of a Williamsport Area High School wrestler; and Dana Vermilya from the resource team.
After the screening in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium, Ferraro sat for a Q&A with attendees – including a number of up-and-coming athletes who were readily encouraged by the unassuming movie star.
“Who is the best wrestler ever?” a young man asked.
“Are you a wrestler?” came the response.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m talking with him.” (Ferraro conceded, though, that the legendary Dan Gable – a national champion, Olympic medalist and coach – was “a close second.”)
Ferraro was joined on stage by moderator Jeff Pelly, a BLaST educational consultant, and in the audience by wife Kelly and service dog Miss Delta Blues (a reflection of his love of music).
Other audience queries ranged from his favorite skateboarding trick … to the artists on his playlist … to his grueling daily training regimen … to advice for parents of wrestlers and special-needs children alike. And echoing through his answers was a distinctive voice: a voice of experience, maturity, wisdom and optimism.
“I wasn’t always resilient,” the near-28-year-old admitted, a fact borne out by the genuinely raw emotion that was captured on film. “But I’ve learned that the worst things always happen before the best things. So don’t give up.”
He closed by observing that, all around the world, there are people in wheelchairs, people with multiple disabilities, who are living their lives without complaint.
“And then there are people at home saying, ‘Life’s not fair,’ making excuse after excuse. So who really has the disability?” he asked. “The only disability is a bad attitude.”
Transition Conference
Ferraro returned to the ACC on Wednesday as the keynoter for the 2023 Transition Conference, a collaboration of BLaST and Penn College’s Disability and Access Resources.
The event was open to special education students in grades 10-12 as well as parents, guardians and other interested parties residing in Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties. Centered around the pathways of postsecondary education and training, employment, and community engagement, the conference featured a full schedule of beneficial speakers and breakout sessions.
Sponsors of the event, held on campus since 2017, were First Community Foundation Partnership, the Mattie family, and the Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak law firm.