Celebrate our Community at the Abilities Parade on May 17th!
Midland’s Abilities Parade is set to take place again in 2025, celebrating the talents and strengths of all in the community on May 17th at Grove Park. Neighbors across the Great Lakes Bay Region are invited to attend this free and family-friendly event that is held by 1in6 Support in partnership with the City of Midland Parks and Recreation.
The event will start at 3:30 PM with a short parade kicking off at 4 PM. Live performances and speeches will follow at 4:30 PM. Celebrations will also include food trucks, face painting, yard games, a petting zoo, bounce houses, and free food and refreshments for attendees. Individuals will also get to learn more about programs and resources offered by over 20 local community organizations.
Additionally, Public Arts Midland will host a group creating session during the event for their 2025 community art installation, How Does Your Garden Grow?. This invites people of all ages and abilities to contribute to a collaborative garden made of individually designed flowers and butterflies. Midland Soccer Club will also perform a demonstration game of their TOPSoccer Program, which is an inclusive soccer program for children with disabilities.
The Abilities Parade is open to anyone and everyone to attend, to celebrate that every community member is equally valued and respected. Volunteers are still needed to help with the event, please contact Lily Kelsey at lilyk@umich.edu to sign-up!
This is the second year that the parade will be held, following the first in 2024, which marked the opening of the Changing Places restroom. The addition of this restroom to Grove Park in Midland makes it the first in the state of Michigan.
Midland’s 2025 All-Abilities Parade is sponsored by the Midland Rotary Foundation, the VOICE Inc., Creative 360, Midwest Patient Lifts and Captured Photography.
For more details or to sign up, contact Lily Kelsey at lkelsey@littleforks.org or 989-835-4886 ext. 105.
At 1in6 Support, our mission is to empower and uplift families of children with disabilities by providing emotional and practical support, fostering accommodating communities, and collaborating with organizations and communities dedicated to creating a more accessible and inclusive world.
Meet our amazing MC and speaker Rynita McGuire Designs!
Rynita McGuire is an artist, mother, designer, fine arts professor, electronic music DJ (DJ Short-e), and Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2025. Wearing many hats has its challenges, but she has always risen to every challenge in her life. Rynita was born with a rare physical disability called arthrogryposis that limits the range of motion in her arms and legs. She uses a wheelchair and has learned to do most things with her mouth to compensate for the lack of reach and grip in her arms and hands, including drawing, painting, and DJing, she is the only DJ in the world that can spin records with her mouth. Rynita holds multiple degrees in art and design, and now is an adjunct fine arts professor at two colleges! She the first wheelchair using professor to teach at both colleges. Rynita has been proving people wrong since the day she was born, achieving what most thought she would never do and then some.
2024 Abilities Parade
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