By Kristen Linsalata
News Editor
The LIU Post Newman Catholic Community Club is hosting a dance for Cerebral Palsy in the Tilles Center Atrium on March 26 from 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. The event is being held to raise awareness for cerebral palsy, and to give the students of LIU Post the opportunity to experience something that will truly change their perspective on mental health, according to Maggie Garcia, an undeclared sophomore and the treasurer of the Newman Club.
More than 100 people who have cerebral palsy will participate in the event, which they consider to be their “prom.” There will be about 30 vans that are wheelchair accessible carrying about four or five people each from residences all over Long Island who are associated with United Cerebral Palsy, a nonprofit agency in New York City.
“Do you remember how excited you were for your high school prom? This is exactly how they feel. They look forward to this day all year [long]! The whole dance is just an amazing way to dance and sing like nobody is watching,” Garcia said.
“Who doesn’t love to dance?” Garcia asked. “Using “dance” as a way to gain awareness for this disability is our way to show that even with all the struggles and disabilities we face in life, dancing and great music is one of the ways we can all come together.”
The dance for Cerebral Palsy is just one of the ways that the Newman Club tries to raise awareness to important issues. “The purpose behind this event and most of our events is to bring awareness and help those in need,” said Reyna Romero, a sophomore Early Childhood Education major, and Vice President of the Newman Club. “Not only through our special event like [the dance for cerebral palsy], but many others like our soup kitchens, [whose] main purpose is to feed the hungry.”
Garcia said that matters of religion and race are irrelevant when it comes to what really matters. “It does not matter what religion or race you affiliate yourself with, we all have one thing in common: the need to make a change,” she said.
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