More than 75 special needs children and adults came out with their families Sunday, April 10, for a fun day of hunting eggs alongside the Easter Bunny. The Make a Way Foundation hosted the free event, held in the courtyard area of Athens High School on what was a beautiful warm, sunny day.

The foundation, with the help of their generous donors, were able to provide a fun and carefree day for the special needs community. Team Blue Butterflies is one group who came out to help.

“They are a group of individuals who simply love to serve others. They provided items and were present to help. Junior Civitan members and several students from Athens High School also helped. We want to thank Athens High School for allowing us to use their courtyard which provided a safe, enclosed environment,” Make a Way founder and chairman Stacey Givens said.

“These events allow families with special needs to participate in holiday activities in a safe environment. Surrounded by families who empathize with their struggles, there is no judgement when these special people struggle. We always make sure that our volunteers are aware of sensitivities, anxieties and frustrations so that there is intentional calmness and care. The activities and giveaways are also carefully chosen with sensory issues and diet concerns in consideration,” Stacey said.

Kevin and Stacey Givens founded Make a Way Foundation in 2019 after several years of raising money on their own to help children with Autism, including their own son.

“We started with putting in sensory rooms, beginning with Brookhill. We realized that we had the opportunity to serve beyond that. We expanded to all of the city schools, and now we are working on the county schools. That has been our mission – to put sensory rooms in each of the schools to enable the children to learn better,” Kevin Givens said. “We are continuing to raise awareness like this and to provide a safe place for special needs children across all spectrums.”

Make A Way hosts annual events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas and are currently working with the Birdie Thornton Center to plan regular social events for adults with special needs.

Several events are being planned, including a billiards tournament May 14 and 15 at Limestone Legends.

“We have several sponsors for that event, including Athens Gas Department, Dream Key Realty, Ming Enterprises, Athens Pharmacy, Town and Country Animal Hospital, Huntsville Heart and Vascular Clinic, All Star Plumbing, Latham and Moffatt, P.C. and Huntsville Wellness. We welcome additional sponsors and pool players,” Stacey said.

The foundation is also making plans for their inaugural Banana Pudding Festival, which will be held at the end of July.

The fundraiser will include vendors, and anyone with a banana pudding recipe is invited to participate in this fun event.

Team Blue Butterflies is hosting a Swamp Johns fundraiser to benefit Make A Way this Friday, April 14, from 4-7 p.m. at the Limestone County Rodeo Arena. Tickets are $13 each and can be purchased at the arena while they last, or in advance by contacting Tammy Moss at (256) 374-3268.

For information about any of the upcoming events, how to participate, or how to contribute to Make A Way, please contact Stacey Landtroop Givens at (256) 434-1762 or e-mail info@foundationmakeaway.org.