Bettering lives for 60 years

Everyone is invited to a very special party today at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe.

That's the appropriate venue, because Ike Hamilton played a vital role in creating the organization that is hosting today's festivities.

It seems odd, though, that the organization is throwing the party to thank the community, when it should be the community thanking ARCO.

Ike and Shirley Hamilton established The Association for the Retarded Citizens of Monroe in 1954 in answer to the social prejudices of that time.

Their daughter, Jenny, was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth. The doctors told the parents that their newborn daughter wouldn't live more than two years and she should be institutionalized.

Instead, the Hamiltons partnered with other local parents of children born with disabilities and set forth on a path to create a better world for their children. They wanted the same afforded to their children as all children. ARCO was born, 60 years ago.

And Jenny lived to be 54. She moved out of her parents' home, participating in ARCO's assisted living program and worked at the Wendy's on North 18th Street for many years.

Today ARCO remains a symbol that children with disabilities can live productive, healthy lives, contributing in many ways in their community. The organization provides early intervention programs to help families with their children's learning and development.

Other ARCO programs follow the child to adulthood. Executive Director Roma Kidd and her staff work hard every day to assure members in our community with mental and physical disabilities live in their own homes and are employed across the community.

Miracles happen every day at ARCO.

So it seems unnecessary that today ARCO is celebrating its 60th anniversary by throwing a party to thank the community for its support. Imagine that, thanking us for our small role in its miracle-making.

ARCO's Day of Appreciation will bring free family activities Saturday and the world-famous Second City Comedy Troupe from Chicago for a night of laughter.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ike, children will enjoy bouncers, slides and activities that's free and open to the public. Family events include a quarter horse event, jumpers, slides, giant Jenga, face painting, a picture station and other games.

The Second City event's performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center Main Arena. Tickets are $14.50, and the show will feature skits satirizing West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris, Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo and other local people.

For 60 years, ARCO has worked to improve the quality of life for thousands of people who a few years ago would have been written off. ARCO deserves thanks for following its founders' commitment. As Kidd says: "We owe everything to those family members who came together to dismiss the current thinking and say, 'These are our children and this is our community and they have a place in it.'"

The editorials in this column represent the opinions of The News-Star's editorial board, composed of General Manager and Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock, Business and Politics Reporter Greg Hilburn and Education Reporter Barbara Leader.