Local band Flaxy Morgan performs on stage for the Disability Pride Festival in Pittston.
Ben Freda | For Sunday Dispatch
Quentin Sapiego, 7, of West Pittston, plays the drums with Flaxy Morgan’s Richie Kossuth.
Ben Freda | For Sunday Dispatch
Amanda and Dalmau Estilo, of Allentown, perform a salsa dance at the festival.
Ben Freda | For Sunday Dispatch
Employees of Coffee Inclusive and its parent organization PA Inclusive, from left: Grace Harding, Dylan Lukachko, Kaitlin Hall, Sandy Nardone, Ellie Bartoli, Amy Baylor and Jeff Mazur.
Ben Freda | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON — PA Inclusive partnered with Disability Pride of Pennsylvania to bring Pittston’s first ever Disability Pride Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The Tomato Lot on Spring Street was filled with vendors, entertainment and resource tables to help disabled people. Disability Pride of Pennsylvania spearheads this event that happens around Pennsylvania. PA Inclusive works with this organization to bring it to Pittston. This nonprofit organization sets up games for children such as Jenga, ball toss and ring toss.
“We did have a good turnout and lots of fun to support our disability community,” said PA Inclusive’s director of marketing and development Kaitlin Hall. “It’s for anybody to come out and support those with disabilities.”
One of the resource tables, In This Together NEPA, a nonprofit organization, helps disabled people with voting rights and teaches people how to register to vote.
“A lot of people don’t have those resources accessible to them, so they (In this Together) sign them up to vote (and) teach them what their rights are,” said Hall.
Coffee Inclusive, whose parent company is PA Inclusive, had a tent with coffee, iced coffee and refreshments for sale. It’s a coffee shop that employs everyone, including people with diverse abilities, and will soon have its own bakery.
Misericordia University has an integrated studies program for students between the ages of 18 and 26 with intellectual disabilities, autism and/or other comorbid diagnoses.
Orley Templeton, OTD, integrated studies manager, gave away fidget toys at the event.
“It’s been an invigorating event to see all the support for disability rights and resources in our local community,” Templeton said.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania, which provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with disabilities, promoted one of its fall sports bocce programs. They also had flyers advertising their second annual kickball tournament, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in Kirby Park,Wilkes-Barre. The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 12.
People also enjoyed live entertainment at the event. Northeast PA cover band Flaxy Morgan allowed 7-year old Quentin Sapiego of West Pittston to play with drummer Richie Kossuth. Dalmau Estilo, who is physically disabled, performed a Latin wheelchair demo and was able to perform a salsa dance with his wife, Amanda. Other entertainment at the event included Laughing Yoga with Jeanine Luby, Friends of Tom, comedian and emcee Gab Bonesso and a salsa workshop with Ines.
