By Dylan Marsh EAGLE TIMES STAFF
WINDSOR, Vt. — Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), a Vermont based organization, will be hosting a community fundraiser event in Windsor, called “Light Up Your Life.”
The event, which HCRS has described as a variety of sensory and artistic activities, will take place from 6p PM to 9 PM at the Path Of Life Sculpture Garden in Artisan Park on Friday, September 23, 2022.
“We’re excited about hosting this fundraiser which will not only raise important funding for mental health services but will also serve to uplift the souls of attendees. We hope to see you there,” HCRS CEO George Karabakakis, Ph.D., stated.
Some of the activities planned for the event include drum circles, yoga, arts and crafts. There will also be opportunities for meditation, spoken word poetry, and live music performed by Senator Dick McCormick and others. Earlier events are planned for families to attend and, after dark, the field that encompasses the Path Of Life will be lit with torches for everyone to enjoy.
HCRS, in its inception, identified not as a service provider but rather “a visionary agent and fundraiser for smaller agencies.” The agencies that HCRS raises funds for address behavioral, rehabilitative, and medical health in both Windsor and Windham counties.
“This event is like a buffet for the body, mind and spirit. Folks will get to try out a lot of different activities offered by amazing volunteers with wonderful experience in their areas of expertise including: music, art, dance, poetry, meditation, and exercise. I’m excited about an event that helps promote mental WELLNESS for people of all ages and abilities,” HCRS Board member and organizer Hilde Ojibway, recently stated in a press release.
HCRS was founded in 1967 after a census to track the number of people in the two counties with developmental disabilities had been conducted. Results from the census brought attention to the lack of accessible aid in Vermont. It was because of this that the Regional Planning and Development Committee incorporated the organization. Due to efforts from HCRS, The Prouty Center for Child Development and the Valley Health Council were created in the seventies to address the needs of Vermont residents. Since the 1990’s, HCRS has been a significant mental health agency in the area. Their efforts have provided services to 4,500 people each year with their five programs.
Organizers of the event encourage everyone to embrace nature, light, and the arts to restore balance and uplift your soul while enjoying the fire lit statues at the Path Of Life. For anyone unfamiliar with the Path Of Life, it is a sculpture park in Windsor featuring 18 larger than life sculptures. The path took many years to complete as there is a large hedge maze that is a major feature at the beginning of the path. The path serves as an artistic representation of the cycle of life.
Anyone interested in attending the “Light Up Your Life Event” should remember to bring the entry fee of either $8 per person or $22 family. Should the event be rained out the date will be changed to September 24th.
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