Mary Ellen Bucci, school administrator for the Easter Seals Autism Therapeutic School in Tinley Park, thinks some kind of water feature in the new playground area of the school would be nice.
“Our kids love water,” Bucci said of the 105 students with disabilities from 56 school districts served by the school. “People are very passionate about regular-ed kids having all the bells and whistles, and sometimes our kids are forgotten. They like everything other kids like.”
Bucci was hoping Saturday’s Easter Seals Tinley Park festival at the school at 173rd Street and Ozark Avenue would accomplish a couple of goals for the organization: garner some much-needed funds to provide “bells and whistles” for the students and foster community awareness.
Jason Baumann, event manager for the Chicago area Easter Seals, said: “People in Tinley Park don’t know what happens here. We want them to know.”
Baumann said he took tickets for the event to the school’s neighbors as a way of thanking them for dealing with the traffic and noise of the 10-hour event and to invite them so they understand what goes on at the school.
Paying guests got a lot of entertainment for their $5 ticket. The family affair provided inflatables, kids’ games, bean bag tournaments, food vendors and a beer tent.
A dance competition between Chicago team mascots, the Bears’ Staley, the Fire’s Sparky, the Sky’s Sky Guy and Chuck E. Cheese standing in for Benny the Bull was judged by DJ Jordan of WKSC-AM (103.5) radio and DJ Aly Bochlar from WCIU-TV (Channel 26).
Live country music began early in the afternoon with Yard Fulla Cars and ended at 10 p.m. with the ’60s sounds of Joey Midnight & the Fleshtones.
Yard Fulla Cars donated its gig money right back to Easter Seals, a gesture of good will the band said it extends to several charities a year.
Lead guitarist and singer Keith Zofkie said: “We’re here. We believe in this cause. This is for the kids.”
…[Tom Hester, of Tinley Park] said his wife, Mary, found the school for their son, Danny, a 20-year-old with autism. Hester said Danny attended many other schools since his diagnosis at 3 years old, but “this school has made a difference for us.”
“If you leave kids with autism alone, they’ll be happy,” Hester said. “Here, where they understand that, the kids aren’t given a lot of down time. They really know the students here and try to engage them. We’re very pleased.”