Written by: Layla McClure, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter
Graphics by: Kristina Guo, FCSN Voices Graphic Artist
On August 11th, 2023, Almaden Valley-Willow Glen (AVWG) Rotary Club hosted a BBQ at John D. Morgan Park with the assistance of the City of Campbell. With over 200 attendees, the BBQ celebrated the camaraderie between the AVWG Rotary Club and FCSN. As the Dream Achievers and the South Bay Percussion Group raised a cheering, dancing crowd with their stellar performances, members of the AWVG Rotary Club served up sizzling hamburgers, chips, drinks, and big smiles.
People gather for the barbeque at a shaded clearing.
The organizers of the BBQ, AVWG Rotary Club President Ken Tavernier and Board of Directors member Bob Carlson's foremost motivation, simply put, was to bring friends together for a good time. However, having often been overlooked or hidden by society, the FCSN friends and families presence made the out-in-the-open gathering especially significant. By organizing the BBQ, Tavernier and Carlson lead the AVWG club in not just accepting, but celebrating the members of their community with special needs.
The Rotary Club and FCSN's friendship began with a program that has proven how everybody has the ability to make a positive change in the world. For the past seven years, Carlson and Tavernier have been organizing and hosting weekly outings with FCSN members to beautify and clean Campbell parks. Through the program, FCSN members have been mulching trees, sweeping and bundling dead leaves, painting benches, and contributing to a variety of other park-improvement projects. In fact, to commemorate the program's incredible impact—over 12,000 hours of volunteer work—upon the Campbell community, the City of Campbell had recently hosted an award ceremony for the FCSN members. Furthermore, the City of Campbell helped put on the BBQ at the very park the program has been servicing: John D. Morgan Park. Multiple city workers present at the award ceremony also attended the BBQ and commented that "Our whole [reason for coming] was to show [FCSN] support today. We really, really appreciate them."
Campbell City workers at the BBQ who are a part of the cleanup program with FCSN and the AVWG Rotary Club pose for a photo.
People arriving at the BBQ first heard Dream Achievers covering classic hits of "Take Me On," "YMCA," and "Footloose." Dream Achiever guitarist and vocalist Gregory Herbert, vocalist and saxophonist Lawrence Wang, and keyboardist Alice Jen all have autism. Each member brought incredible talent: Herbert strummed his guitar and worked the crowd with contagious enthusiasm, Lawrence broke into jaw-dropping saxophone solos, and Alice provided a flawless accompaniment on the keys to songs of every style. "Music speaks so much to everyone, whether you have special needs or not," said Anna, and, sure enough, one of the favorite parts of the BBQ was the live music. By the second song, the crowd was on their feet. "[My favorite part of the barbecue] was that not only do I get to play, but also that my friends danced," said Herbert.
The Dream Achievers perform next to Anna Wang, who is dancing to the music.
Several people dance to the music in front of the Dream Achievers.
People worked up quite an appetite dancing to the Dream Achievers' music, but the thoughtful Rotary Club volunteers came prepared. They devised a preorder system to avoid the crowds and chaotic lines that FCSN members could have been sensitive to. "This is our first time [organizing a barbecue for people with special needs]. We initially thought we would have them line up and order food, but many [FCSN] clients have a hard time walking and communicating. So what we did was have everyone pre-order," said Carlson. The Rotary volunteers formed a burger assembly line atop two picnic tables. First, cooks flipped patties hot off the grill onto fluffy sesame buns. Then, according to the list of each attendee's topping and condiment preferences, volunteers added fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, ketchup, and/or mustard to make customized burgers. Finally, runners delivered each customized order to the seated FCSN community.
FCSN clients, families, and friends sit at picnic tables and wait for their lunch.
Rotary volunteers prepare hamburgers.
Accompanying the scrumptious lunch, the second performance of the day began: South Bay Percussion Group. The FCSN ensemble of two marimbas, a drum kit, and keys played lively, lighthearted tunes that matched the vibrant summer weather perfectly. In particular, the marimba duetists stunned the audience with their remarkable synchronization and speed.
Two marimba players of the South Bay Percussion Group raise their hands after finishing a song while the audience applauds.
Afterwards, the pleasant bustle of family and friends connecting resumed. FCSN families appreciated the opportunity for the special needs community to meet in public, "I want [people with special needs] to be a part of the world. I think the main advantage of doing this meetup outdoors is that everybody gets to see [our community], which creates more awareness," said one FCSN parent. Similarly, when capping off the event, Anna commended the Rotary Club for increasing visibility of the special needs population. "Having this joyous celebration with the Rotary Club just shows that if you're willing to step out and let your child shine in the community, there are many, many kind people in the community ready to embrace your child. That is the message I want to give to other families that are in hiding...... If you don't give up on your children, you can always find their abilities and talents and let them shine," said Anna.
Volunteers from the Almaden Valley Willow Glen Rotary Club pose for a photo.
The afternoon closed with remarks from FCSN Co-founder and Vice President Anna Wang, as well as AVWG Rotary Board of Directors member Bob Carlson. More than delicious food, wonderful music, and summer outdoor fun, the day and the community leaders' speeches solidified a friendship between the AVWG Rotary Club and FCSN that continues to blossom every day — a demonstration that when people come together with loving, open hearts, they have the power to create and share new joy with the world. The sunny skies and the Rotary Club's generosity shone a light upon the FCSN community's talents and bond, making the first BBQ of a now-annual tradition one to remember.
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