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NOW Fitness Leader Kristen Rukstela leads last year’s clinic participants in a yoga exercise. Courtesy photo.
KILLINGLY — April 8 The Arc Quinebaug Valley and Northeast Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) will team up to host the 2nd Annual Spectrum of Sports event, an inclusive sports clinic and resource fair open to children ages 7 - 15 of all abilities. From 10 a.m. to noon at Killingly High School, the free clinic will feature a variety of sports skill stations, promoting movement and fun with an emphasis on inclusion and sportsmanship.
NOW Executive Director Sarah Wolfburg said: “We were so pleased to partner with The Arc for the Spectrum of Sports Clinic. It was truly rewarding to see children and teens of all abilities participating and we are excited for our second annual event coming up on April 8th.”
The 2018 event will feature skill stations in several sports, including a basketball station supported by Coach Tom Espinosa and Putnam Science Academy athletes, a soccer station with coaches and players from NECONN Soccer, a karate station with Master Mike Bogdanski of Quest Martial Arts, a running station with coach Beth Ten Eyck and TMHS Track & Field athletes, and a lacrosse station with Quinebaug Valley Youth Lacrosse. In addition, NOW will feature a yoga station and nutrition activity featuring a healthy snack.
Parents are asked to stay for the entirety of the clinic and encouraged to visit the resource fair, which will feature community partners and agencies from around the region, including: The Arc Quinebaug Valley, NOW, United Services, Inc., Infinity Music Therapy Services, Special Olympics CT, and more. Visitors to the resource fair can enjoy refreshments and be entered into a raffle for a gift basked courtesy of The Arc & NOW.
For more information on the free event, or to register, visit www.nowinmotion.org. Those interested in participating as a vendor at the resource fair are encouraged to contact Mallory Moreau, Director of Education and Training for The Arc Quinebaug Valley at 860-774-2827 ext. 115 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The partnership between NOW and The Arc started in late 2016 with the concept of hosting an event that would align the respective missions of the two organizations. NOW focuses on providing all children access to youth wellness programming while The Arc actively supports the full inclusion and participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community.
The result of this partnership was the Spectrum of Sports Clinic & Resource Fair. The event, held on April 2, 2017, saw 30 children ages 7-16 participating in an afternoon of activities that included basketball, cheerleading, running, soccer, yoga, and a nutrition lesson. During the clinic, parents and guardians were encouraged to visit the vendor resource fair. Representatives from local community organizations provided information on speech and language services, youth sports organizations, child advocacy information and assistance, and a range of health and wellness resources.