Inclusive fun for all at Fall Fest

FINDLAY — Local nonprofit ADDAPTCO is hosting its 9th annual Fall Fest Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at the Legacy Pavilion at the Hancock County Fairgrounds. The free, sensory-friendly event is open to the public and designed for children and adults with disabilities. Guests can enjoy a variety of activities for all ages, including pumpkin painting, train rides, inflatables, games and crafts. This year's festival will also feature Trunk-or-Treat, an event originally organized by Hancock County Parent Mentor Claire McCumber, inside the Buckeye Building. ADDAPTCO president Christina Treece said she created the event after discovering that traditional fall festivals were not always inclusive for families with disabilities. "Fall Fest started when my children were young," Treece said. "I took them to a typical fall fest event and it did not go over well. I left with both my boys and myself in tears. I didn't want any other families to feel that way." Since then, Fall Fest has become a community staple in Hancock County. The first festival was held nearly a decade ago in the Blanchard Valley Center's school gymnasium. As the event continued to grow in popularity, it moved from Riverside Park to the fairgrounds to accommodate for the large number of attendees each year. "I always think back to that first day, I felt so defeated," Treece said. "Now my boys are 16 and 14 years old and they both have volunteered at the event for years. To see other parents and kids enjoy the event and feel welcomed and accepted, it's just amazing." ADDAPTCO, meaning All Developmental Differences & Abilities Parent Teacher Community Organization, originally began as a parent-teacher group and has since grown into a countywide nonprofit advocating for inclusion and support. While many of its initiatives focus on school-aged children, the organization also supports adults through community events and outreach programs. Among its year-round initiatives is a field trip fund for local students and a fund for projects that benefit the special education community, including sensory-friendly installations and Little Free Libraries. "Kids with disabilities are a part of this community and they need to feel like they are," Treece said. "When families feel isolated and misunderstood, they don't go to community events. Everyone needs to see them and accept them into the community. Events like this help make that happen." Fall Fest brings together numerous local partners and volunteers, including Blanchard Valley Center, Children's Museum of Findlay, Cub Scout Pack 334, Findlay Police Department, Findlay Fire Department, Hanco EMS, Findlay Service League, Hancock County Early Intervention, Heartstrings Melodies, Heroes for Hope, Imagination Station, MonArk ABA Therapy, Ms. Donna's Adaptive Learning Center, and Z&D Airsoft, LLC. Trunk-or-Treat organizations involved this year include True Trojans, Findlay North PTO, Whittier- Wilson Vance PTO, Habitat for Humanity Financial Center, MyVoice Speech Therapy, Family Resource Center, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, OSU Extension Office, 4-H Club, Hancock ESC, and Focus/The Loft. "We want to bring the entire community together," Treece said. "To show that we can all have fun, play together, and learn how much we have in common instead of focusing on our differences." To ensure the event is accessible and inclusive, ADDAPTCO is providing noise-cancelling headphones for guests who may need them and trained volunteers who can support attendees with sensory sensitivities or behavioral differences. "We make sure our volunteers understand that if they see behavior they're not familiar with, that it is completely okay, they just need to be kind and accepting," Treece said. "Having all of our people aware of how to help out, handle those situations, and give support if somebody needs it is the biggest thing." The Fall Fest is free to attend and open to everyone. For more information on ADDAPTCO, visit addaptco.org.