{"id":123355,"date":"2026-02-05T00:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T00:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/123355\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T00:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T00:48:12","slug":"aabr-nonprofit-hops-for-joy-while-celebrating-70th-anniversary-in-st-albans-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/123355\/","title":{"rendered":"AABR nonprofit \u2018hops\u2019 for joy while celebrating 70th anniversary in St. Albans \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AABR-Sock-Hop-4-1.jpg\" class=\"crop-center wp-post-image\" alt=\"aabr\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"  \/>\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>AABR Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, celebrated its 70th anniversary with a Sock Hop community event at its St. Albans location on Jan. 31.<\/p>\n<p>Photo courtesy of AABR Inc.<\/p>\n<p>AABR Inc. members and staff were \u201chopping\u201d for joy as the nonprofit, located in <a href=\"https:\/\/qns.com\/neighborhoods\/st-albans\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">St. Albans<\/a>, celebrated its 70th anniversary with a Sock Hop community event on Jan. 31.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over 150 guests attended the evening celebration that featured classic \u201850s rock-and-roll hits by Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Comets, and Ritchie Valens, serving as blast-from-the-past from the era the nonprofit was founded.<\/p>\n<p>Elvis and the Pink Ladies were \u201cin the building\u201d as staff and attendees embraced the theme donned in classic \u201850s attire, such as poodle skirts, varsity jackets, cuffed jeans and saddle shoes. The costumes added to the nostalgia as guests kept the energy high on the dance floor.<\/p>\n<p>Attendees also enjoyed burgers and root beer floats \u2014 classic food staples popularized during the era.\n<\/p>\n<p>The event, organized at the location of <a href=\"https:\/\/aabr.org\/dayhab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">AABR\u2019s St. Pascal\u2019s Day Program<\/a>, honored the organization\u2019s dedication to individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-598988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AABR-Sock-Hop-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  \/>Guests of the Sock Hop dressed up in classic \u201850s attire, including poodle skirts, varsity jackets, cuffed jeans and saddle shoes. Photo courtesy of AABR Inc.<\/p>\n<p>Since its founding in 1956, a news release from AABR said, the nonprofit has grown from a small community organization into one of the largest service providers for individuals with developmental disabilities in the New York region, supporting more than 1,000 individuals and their families across New York City.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReaching our 70th anniversary is a testament to the dedication of countless staff members, families and community partners who believe so strongly in our mission,\u201d said Libby Traynor, CEO of AABR. \u201cAABR\u2019s founders could only have dreamed that the organization would grow and provide critical services for so many individuals. Together we will reach new heights, expand our programs and ensure that every individual receives the support and opportunities they deserve,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n<p>The news release said AABR\u2019s day program, which has operated in St. Albans since the 1990s, exemplifies AABR\u2019s commitment to creating welcoming, engaging environments where individuals can thrive.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-598989\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AABR-Sock-Hop-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  \/>AABR, founded in 1956, harkened back to the classic era with a wave of nostalgic tunes including \u201850s rock-and-roll hits by Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Comets, and Ritchie Valens. Photo courtesy of AABR Inc.<\/p>\n<p>AABR\u2019s services offer daily activities that promote skill development, creativity and meaningful social connections for adults with developmental disabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The program includes structured activities and socialization opportunities across multiple locations throughout Queens, such as residential services that foster independence and community integration, as well as community-based programs that help individuals participate fully through employment support, recreational activities and social engagement.<\/p>\n<p>According to the news release, the 70th anniversary celebration served as both a reflection on AABR\u2019s rich history and a commitment to its future.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p>For more information about AABR and its programs, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/aabr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">AABR.org<\/a>.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-598991\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AABR-Sock-Hop-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  \/>Over 150 guests attended the celebration, serving as a reflection of AABR\u2019s past and a commitment to its future. Photo courtesy of AABR Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AABR Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, celebrated its 70th anniversary with a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[53870,128,9,24,63,53871,129,131,130],"class_list":{"0":"post-123355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-bronx","8":"tag-aabr-inc","9":"tag-bronx","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-city","12":"tag-nyc","13":"tag-sock-hop","14":"tag-the-bronx","15":"tag-the-bronx-headlines","16":"tag-the-bronx-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}