The school, which has about 200 students with disabilities and special needs, ages 3 to 22, is \u201ca hidden gem\u201d within the Pinellas County Schools system, Jacquie Grimes, a behavioral specialist at the school who is helping with the fundraiser, told Patch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think people even know we\u2019re on the map, which is mindblowing to me,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n
Grimes knows firsthand the difference the Nina Harris ESE Center can make in a student’s life. <\/p>\n
The Pinellas Park native\u2019s youngest brother attended the school, where she also volunteered every summer as a teenager. <\/p>\n
This inspired her career in education. Since returning to Florida after college, Grimes has worked at Nina Harris for 18 years. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we do here is individualize all instruction to their independent needs,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have therapies for them here, everything from vision to speech and language. We do whatever we can do to get each kid successful in their own unique way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Nina Harris is funded through the public school system, there are more costs involved than at a typical school. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to modify everything to our students’ needs,\u201d Grimes said. <\/p>\n
For instance, they have students who have no or little use of their arms, legs and head, so they communicate using specialized Eyegaze Edge equipment. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s super expensive, about $500,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s hooked up to an iPad and it\u2019s a thing that reads your eyes so you can communicate. It varies, which level you get. It\u2019s expensive; all the equipment here is unbelievably expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The school recently received a $50,000 grant from the Hawkins Family Foundation for walkers and gate trainers to help students spend time out of their wheelchairs. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut we were only able to buy six of them with that money – which is still huge for us,\u201d Grimes said. \u201cNow, we\u2019re able to get six kids out of wheelchairs and get them upright and walk around the school. They have the biggest smiles on their faces when they have that sense of freedom. But this equipment is just so expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The school is only designated a certain amount of money for equipment each year, and much of the equipment that Nina Harris already has \u201cis old and outdated,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
What causes more difficulties – and more expenses – is that \u201call the kids are different sizes and shapes, so on and so forth, so everything has to be individualized,\u201d Grimes said. <\/p>\n
The school also hosts special events for the students throughout the year from a pirate festival inspired by Gasparilla to its recent Spring Fling with a petting zoo, adaptive Easter egg hunts and a foam party.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to bring as much into the school as we can so they get to experience all that,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cThis is why [Saturday\u2019s] fundraiser is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event kicks off with a dinner hosted by Glory Days Grill at 6 p.m. for $20. The live auction of around 100 gift baskets and prizes starts at 7:30 p.m. The auction is free to attend. <\/p>\n
Prizes range from hotel stays and concert and theme park tickets to jewelry, art, beach-themed baskets, barbeque and specialty food baskets, and more. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe get all kinds of different things,\u201d Grimes said. \u201cHopefully, we\u2019ll get a lot of foot traffic this year.\u201d<\/p>\n