Tomorrow is Festival of Inclusion Featuring 80+ Organizations Serving the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Community

The Golisano Foundation, Special Olympics, and Best Buddies are joining together to host the third annual Festival of Inclusion.

The inspirational day of interactive fun, games and education is free and will be held as part of the annual Spread the Word Inclusion campaign.

The event is being held on Saturday, February 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth University, located at 4245 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14618.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• 80+ Interactive community stations

• Adaptive equipment demonstrations

• Sports activities

• Virtual reality

• Therapy animals

• College programs and medical specialist resources

• Free t-shirts and tote bags to the first 750 attendees

• Passport scavenger hunt with fun games and prizes

• A photo booth for fun photo ops

• Monroe County Sheriff emergency vehicles to explore outside the Center

• AP Enterprises construction equipment to explore outside the Center

• Food trucks and stands located outside the Golisano Training Center entrance – Chef's Catering, Eat Greek, ROC City Sammich, Rochester Kettle Corn

Additional snacks and beverages generously donated by Wegmans will be available at no charge and distributed by LifePrep@Naz students in Cafe Nine, located inside the Center's corridor.

2024 Festival of Inclusion sponsors and partners include the Golisano Foundation, Best Buddies, Special Olympics, Nazareth University, Wegmans, AutismUP, Al Sigl Community of Agencies, WXXI, Common Thread Brews, Maria Spinelli Photography, Monroe County Sheriff and AP Enterprises.

COMMUNITY INCLUSION STATIONS

Interactive and creative activities and demonstrations will take place inside the Center from the following regional organizations:

• Ability Partners (CP Rochester, Happiness House, Rochester Rehabilitation Center)

• ACEeing Autism

• Alzheimer's Association

• Arc Alliance

• The Arc GLOW

• The Arc of Monroe, Ontario, Wayne and Chemung-Schuyler

• Bivona Child Advocacy Cente

• Catholic Charities Family and Community Services

• Center for Disability Center

• Dancers With Diverse Abilities

• Disability EmpowHer Network

• Eastman Institute for Oral Health, URMC

• Education Success Foundation

• EPI (Empowering People's Independence)

• Family Initiative

• Heritage Christian Services, Heritage Christian Stables

• Hillside

• LifePrep@Naz

• Lifetime Assistance

• Mary Cariola Center

• Parents Helping Parents

• People Inc

• Person Centered Services

• Rochester Hearing and Speech Center

• Special Olympics New York, Special Olympics Young Athletes

• Starbridge

• Syracuse University InclusiveU

• TIES (Together Including Every Student)

• UR Medicine, Complex Care Center, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Golisano Children’s Hospital and many more.