THS Seniors Host Dance Party For Special Needs Children And Adults

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI)  –  Four Tupelo High School students are using their senior project to help special needs children and adults take part in activities we all take for granted.
As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, the latest event was a rocking dance party.

For a few hours, the Bel Air Center was transformed into dance party central.

The guests at this dance are kids and adults with special needs. This event was organized by THS seniors who are part of an organization called Bridge, which stands for;

“Building relationships inclusive to diverse groups through empathy,” said Sarah Watkins, a senior at THS.

BRIDGE began last year, when a student organized activities for her senior project. It has carried over to this school year and those who are involved say they have learned a lot about themselves and others.

“I’ve learned that special needs people, they just want to have a good time just like us, even though they may be slightly disabled, they’re still just like us,” said Clayton Sewell, THS Senior.

“Not a lot of kids our age get out and see things that they’re not used to, they’re used to just the everyday lives they live, they wake up, go to school, they don’t really think about the difficulties that other people struggle with,” Watkins said.

The THS seniors worked hard on this dance, they even prepared and served dinner to the guests.

Every Senior project has an adult mentor, and Tupelo’s recreation director provided advice and encouragement to the students.

“It gives them opportunities to participate with individuals with special needs and they may not have had that opportunity before,” said Leigh Ann Mattox, recreation director for Tupelo Park and Rec.

All of the guests enjoyed themselves, and KK Stewart had a special message for the students who put it all together.

“I want to tell them, thanks for all the fun and I really appreciate all the hard work that they do,” Stewart said.

THS students are trying to get BRIDGE recognized as an official club at the school.