READING, Pa. – Working to break down barriers and prove that ability comes in many forms: a local nonprofit is hosting a fundraiser this weekend to continue empowering people with disabilities.
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay was in Reading with the group that uses fitness and sports to make an impact.
The IM ABLE Foundation BASH Fundraiser will be held on Saturday at the Alvernia Plex in Reading from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. People can register for free.
Peoples’ attendance, along with any donations or sponsorships, helps expand IM ABLE’s adaptive programs, provides equipment to those who need it, and creates more opportunities for people of all abilities to move, connect, and thrive, the foundation says on its website.
IM ABLE Foundation CEO Alex Pikington said the organization was started in 2007. He said it creates opportunities for people of all abilities as well as veterans with disabilities to help them become more active in the community.
Sometimes people with life-changing conditions come to the organization and learn how to redefine what’s possible for them.
Sherry Marcinkowski, the Board Chair at the IM ABLE Foundation, said Saturday’s event will give the foundation an opportunity to celebrate its accomplishments throughout the past year. The event will feature drinks, dancing, and opportunities for adaptive sports like wheelchair rugby and adaptive tennis.
She said everything the organization does depends on donations and sponsorships that it gets from the community.
Pikington said it’s been “life changing” for him to see people who come to the foundation who may be in moments of despair who get involved and see others with different types of abilities.
“Their life takes a different trajectory,” he said.