A Winter Wonderland for Special Friends
Every December, the Student Recreation Center closes its doors to students needing a workout and opens them to kids with special needs.
On this year’s Special Friends Day, more than 100 kids aged five to 21 played in a winter wonderland with their two “buddy” volunteers each. From the entrance of the Recreation Center, bubbles filled the air and a blow-up snowman with penguins presents greeted guests. The wall by the main stairs transformed to a snowy, winter scene with penguins in gondola lifts above purple mountains. Glass walls and windows were frosty and festively painted.
“For the first time in a couple weeks, I’m able to relax doing this,” RecBoard’s Special Events Chair, Linda Mozdzen said. “It is rewarding seeing kids so happy.”
RecBoard, a student organization through the Recreation Center, plans and organizes a majority of the event each year. Student and staff volunteers spent two months planning this event and transforming the gym into a themed day for special needs children, according to Mozdzen.
“I was worried if people were going to be able to do this or handle this,” Mozdzen said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but people have been really impressive in the fact that they are willing to step up to the plate and interact with these kids and be on their best behavior.”
Many committee members arrived before 8 a.m. to finish little tasks before buddies and friends arrived. Student Recreation Center employee and decorations committee member, Alexis Gross, said setup the day before was the most stressful.
“Yesterday was hectic,” Gross said. “Decoration was insane, but it got done. Some of these kids are just so cute, and it’s just great.”
She said the winter mural on the wall made from cut-out colored paper, took around eight hours to finish. Other last-minute decorations were also finished the day before.
Special friends had many activities to choose from. In one room, buddies and friends danced to songs like “Shake It Off,” by Taylor Swift. In another, they played basketball and other games. They could also have their face painted, watch Happy Feet, pet service dogs that police officers walked around, build with Legos, swim and more in other rooms.
The most popular activity was the Stuff-a-Plush station, where buddies helped special friends make their own stuffed penguin. Special friend Summi Muzamil loved touching the pile of stuffing at the station and made his buddies laugh as he threw the fluff on the floor. Muzamil said he was having fun and liked the penguins. One of his buddies, senior Ishmael Cruz, said he was having a good time with Muzamil.
Freshman volunteer Veronica Morano heard about the event through an e-mail and enjoyed participating.
“It makes me feel good to see them having a good time and be a part of it and do the fun stuff with them,” said Morano, who brought her special friend into the dark room playing the movie Happy Feet.
Other friends and volunteers also had a great time at different stations, like Jack Sweeney, Carli Danduone and Karli Romero who frequented the Legos station, building houses together and other creations.
Six-year-old Sweeney said it was “the best day ever” as he gave two thumbs up. His buddies, Danduone and Romero laughed as Sweeney said his Christmas list, some of which included a drum set and a black Range Rover.
Parents like Sandy and Doug Fine appreciated a day that they could separate from their kid and trust that he is having a fun time.
“We never really knew about it, and we are sorry we didn’t because it’s really great,” said Doug.
The couple heard about the event through a parent whose child goes to the event annually and this was the first year that their 12-year-old, Derek, came to Special Friends Day.
“The best part of this is that he’s a kid that is very clingy to us, and he was able to separate, and he was able to go and be with other people and socialize,” Sandy said.
Sandy said Derek enjoys many of the activities offered, especially swimming and petting the service dog.
“He going to learn from it,” Sandy said. “He’s going to take away socially and he is going to have fun.”
The day ended with everyone coming together for a juggling show. Afterwards, special friends were picked up by their parents and volunteers cleaned up the mess from an activity-packed day. The Recreation Center transformed back into a gym and remains a place for weightlifters and step master champions until next December, where special needs children and volunteers will be invited back for a differently-themed Special Friends Day.
