TOM CONNELLY: Albany ARC fundraiser to help new summer camp
GUEST COLUMNIST: ARC is a nonprofit agency purposed to improve the lives of people with disabilities
ALBANY, April 30, 2017 – Friday, Jose Tongol and his band, the Yoyos, will perform at the Nelson Tift Building for Albany Advocacy Resource Center’s Cinco de Mayo. The Tift Building is located across from the Albany Chamber of Commerce, at 226 W. Broad Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for drinks and dinner. The meal will be catered by Moe’s Southwest Grill. Music also starts at 6:30 and lasts until 9 p.m. A silent auction that will be held during the function ends at 8:30 p.m.
The event is a fundraiser for Albany ARC, a nonprofit agency purposed to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Founded in 1963 by a group of citizens concerned for their children with developmental disabilities, it has grown into one of the biggest and most successful private service providers in the state of Georgia.
Directed for 40 years under the extraordinary leadership of Annette Bowling, it is now led by the capable hands of Sonny Slate and DeAnna Julian. This agency offers 13 programs that center on their clients’ needs, ranging from housing to education to wellness to vocational aid. Albany ARC serves in excess of 800 persons from 19 different locations in more than 30 counties throughout the state. The imprint of Albany ARC is felt all over Southwest Georgia.
Money received from Cinco de Mayo will be used to help pay for a new summer camp, Camp ARC. This is a pilot program, created in response to the need for assistance during this time of the year for this population and respite for their parents and caretakers. A seven-week program, it starts June 5 and runs through July 28. (There will be no camp the week of July 4.)
The camp itself will be held at the new ARC building at 2200 Stuart Ave., in the Kids’ Corner Developmental Center. Approximately 30 elementary and middle school students will participate. The camp will be an inclusive camp, i.e., it will include youths with disabilities including autism, and their nondisabled siblings, if they want to attend. During the program, the students will go on many field trips. For instance, they will travel to the Flint RiverQuarium, Chehaw park, the YMCA and various other locations for activities. In addition, at the ARC building the participants can receive physical therapy, occupational therapy and therapy in a multisensory room, if needed.
Tongol, who performs most Friday evenings at Casa de Tapatia at 108 N. Slappey Blvd., will again lead the audience through a musical journey of hits from the 1960s all the way up to today. For instance, he stands a good chance of singing popular songs of yesteryear by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash and others, to contemporary tunes.
The youngest boy in a family of 15, Jose’s is a real rags-to-riches story. Since starting to perform at the age of 7, this native Filipino has performed more than 700 times. Audiences have ranged from elementary school classes to civic and medical organizations to audiences that have included President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. In the daytime, Jose is known as “Dr. Tongol.” An oncologist, Dr. Tongol works at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Oncology. At this location, he plays a large role in helping cancer patients recover from their illnesses. Then, on many Friday nights he lifts the spirits of those in attendance with his music.
The cost to attend Cinco de Mayo is $25 a person, or $40 for two people. For those wanting drinks, the charge will be $50 a person, or $75 for two people. Tickets may be purchased via donation on the Albany ARC website, or at their offices at 2200 Stuart Ave. or 3005 Old Dawson Road.
For more information, contact DeAnna Julian, deputy director, or Sonia Prescott, director of education. They can be reached at (229) 888-6852. If you’re looking for a good time on Friday, come on down to the Nelson Tift Building, come on in, and let the good times roll.
Tom Connelly, a long-time Albany resident, is a rehabilitation employment specialist who is a member of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Albany Advocacy Resource Center advisory board and the Georgia Rehabilitation Association.
The original article appeared in The Albany Herald.
