The Kennedy Center 60th Anniversary Dinner

Offers Breakout Sessions

BRIDGEPORT — The Kennedy Center’s 60th Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 28, at the Holiday Inn, 1070 Main Street, will feature special breakout sessions for the public as well as a keynote address by former musician and motivational speaker Jason Crigler of New York City.

The Kennedy Center is a nationally accredited, nonprofit, community-based rehabilitation organization that currently serves more than 1,800 individuals annually. The agency actively responds to the needs of the community by offering innovative, comprehensive service options to persons with disabilities and special needs, from birth to senior years.

The Kennedy Center operates 21 community experience programs, including one in Newtown, 16 group homes, an industries program composed of six businesses, supported and competitive employment and job placement services, a family support and respite service, travel training, and a variety of children’s programs.   

 The awards dinner will kick off with five educational sessions from 3 to 7 pm. The following topics will be covered:

“Siblings of Siblings with Special Needs: Unique Concerns/Unique Benefits” presented by Sibling Leadership Network Chair, John Kramer, PhD, from 3 to 3:45 pm.;

“Alzheimer’s & Down Syndrome: What to Expect & Current Updates,” presented by Dr Gerard Kerins, FACP, Section Chief Geriatrics, Hospital of St Raphael, New Haven, from 4 to 4:45 pm.;

“The Importance of Advocacy: You Can’t Afford to Sit Back,” presented by Walter Glomb of the Parent Empowerment Task Force from 5 to 5:30 pm.;

“Planned Giving: Decisions That Make a Difference,” presented by Michael Lynch and Barbara Green, Esq, from 5:30 to 6 pm.; and

“A Question and Answer Session with Kennedy Center Vice Presidents,” from 6 to 7 pm.

The social hour will begin at 6 pm, followed by the dinner, annual meeting and awards at 7 pm. A commemorative video celebrating the achievements of the late Evelyn Kennedy, the founder of The Kennedy Center, will be shown.

Then, guitarist Jason Crigler, a fixture in the downtown New York City music scene, will recount the amazing story of how he overcame the physical and emotional trauma of recovering from a stroke that left him immobile and barely responsive.

In 2004, Mr Crigler played with a variety of new bands as well as notables such as Marshall Crenshaw, Ollabelle, John Cale, and Norah Jones. Then, one night, in the middle of a show, a blood vessel in Jason’s brain burst open and he suffered a debilitating stroke.

The 34-year-old man was left immobile and barely responsive, and doctors thought he would need to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home. But Jason’s family — his parents, sister, and pregnant wife — believed he could recover if he were given a chance.

With the help of his courageous family he reclaimed his life. Today, Mr Crigler leads a normal, productive life as a husband, father, family member, and musician.

Ticket prices for the annual awards dinner include several options: $20 per person for the breakout sessions only, $50 for the breakout sessions and dinner, or $40 per person for the dinner only.

Any tickets purchased at a higher level and any donations will benefit the clients of The Kennedy Center. No tickets will be sold at the door. For ticket information, call 203-365-8522, extension 213. or reservations can be made online at www.thekennedycenterinc.org.