A NEW ROLLER- SKATING RINK IS NOW OPEN IN EL CENTRO. A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED OUT OF CALIPATRIA CALLED BEST STEP FORWARD… OPENED THE FACILITY FOR FAMILIES TO GET TOGETHER AND HAVE A SAFE SPACE FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. VANESSA GONGORA HAS THIS STORY.
LKLV: BEST STEP FORWARD PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY AND THE UNDER SERVED AT RISK YOUTH. THE C-E-O HAS TWO CHILDREN WHO HAVE AUTISM AND A-D-H-D. SHE SAYS HER OLDEST SON WAS HER INSPIRATION. TRACK:BECAUSE OF HIS
DIAGNOSIS…SHE LEFT HER CAREER AS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC TO SHIFT HER PRIORITIES TO ADVOCATE FOR HIM AND HER DAUGHTER WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. SOT: JACKIE B. RIDDELL – BEST STEP FORWARD CEO/FOUNDER “I PRETTY MUCH TOOK ON THESE PROGRAMS FULL FORCE FOR THEM TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT IS THAT YOU ARE GIFTED WITH… LET ■ “)S FIGURE IT OUT. LET ■ “)S CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR YOU GUYS TO PLAY…HAVE FRIENDS AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.” TRACKBEST STEP FORWARD IS A VOLUNTEER BASED ORGANIZATION THAT HAS AN INNOVATIVE CREATIVE CREW.
THEY WERE GIVEN SPACES THAT NEED A LOT OF WORK AND WITH THE VISION OF THE MEMBERS..THEIR IDEA CAME TO LIFE. SOT JACKIE B. RIDDELL – BEST STEP FORWARD CEO/FOUNDER”WE ■ “) VE SEEN IT AS A POSITIVE CHALLENGE FOR US AND A BLANK CANVAS TO SEE
WHAT WE CAN TURN IT INTO. IN CALIPAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND A SENSORY SPACE AND WE PLAN TO BASICALLY MIMIC THAT HERE IN AN OBVIOUSLY LARGER SCALE.” TRACKRIGHT NOW THE RINK IS OPEN BI-WEEKLY ON THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS… BUT HOPING TO OPEN
MORE FREQUENTLY DEPENDING ON HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER. TRACKTHE VICE PRESIDENT OF BEST STEP FORWARD ENJOYS BEING PART OF THE SKATING RINK TRANSFORMATION BECAUSE IT BRINGS BACK HER CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IN MEXICALI. SOTPAULETTE RAMIREZ / VICE PRESIDENT – BEST STEP
FORWARD “OVER THERE…THERE WAS MUSIC AND IT WAS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND LIGHTS AND JUST THE INTERACTION WITH FAMILY. IT WAS SOMETHING I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERY WEEK.” TRACKBEST STEP FORWARD INVITES ALL FAMILIES TO COME BY. THE ORGANIZATION IS
ASKING FOR A FIVE DOLLAR DONATION AT THE DOOR. PROCEEDS GO TOWARD THE RENTAL OF THE SPACE AND UTILITIES. LKLV OUT PKG AS OF RIGHT NOW…YOU DO
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