North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
A brand new event in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Day will see McLean Park play host this weekend to a wonderful day full of artwork, painting and togetherness for many amazing local residents.
The 1st Annual Art in the Park for Special Needs will be held on Saturday, March 26, from 1 to 4 p.m., where local children and adults with special needs will gather to have fun together making their own art while enjoying the beautiful weather and the peaceful tranquility of the park.
The date was selected to honor Down Syndrome Awareness Day, which was Monday, March 21, Lance Cpl. Amy Vicks, Community Engagement Officer with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, who is holding the event with the city’s parks and recreation department.
The event will be held for the first time this year. Vicks said she created the idea for the event and put it together because she wanted to do something special for those with special needs. She said she has a niece who has Down Syndrome and she wanted to see her and others like her be able to get out and do something fun together in the city.
“We wanted to do it close to that date because special needs kids and adults don’t really get the opportunity to meet together and do things within our community,” Vicks explained. “So I really wanted to put it out there for the special needs.”
Vicks said working with special needs children and adults is something the police department focuses on and takes great pride in. She said that level of enthusiasm helped give her the inspiration to come up with the event and explained how it came about.
“A few months back I was just thinking we needed to do something, because we’re very involved and our captain is very passionate about the Special Olympics and stuff like that,” Vicks explained.
“I did some research and found out that Down Syndrome Awareness Day was on the 21st, so I just started with working in connection with the art director over at the rec center, Nina Ortiz. She came up with some ideas, I went and bought all the supplies,” Vicks said. “We are going to do a mermaid and a sea turtle for them and it’s going to involve painting and yarn and shells, and we’re just going to let their creative juices flow.”
Artists from the art department at the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center will be on hand to help teach and help guide all of the aspiring artists with their artwork. Their finished creations will then be put on exhibit at NMB City Hall for everyone to come view their new masterpieces.
“We have volunteers from the art department over at the recreation center coming to do the artwork and help them with the artwork, and it’s going to be displayed here at city hall through the month of April,” Vicks said.
So far, Vicks said she has been working with groups that will be at McLean Park, with 10 definite confirmations that they will be there at the moment. She said they are going to limit the number to 25 and they will have refreshments there for everyone in attendance.
For additional information about Art in the Park for Special Needs, send emails to asvicks@nmb.us or call Vicks directly at 843-281-3706.
