Our second annual “Celebrate Neurodiversity – Community BBQ” event was a great success! We had about double the number of attendees this year (around 70), had even more service providers and local businesses join us with tables, and it was the most beautiful sunny August afternoon. It was heartwarming to see new connections made amongst neurodivergent folks within our small community. We hope to run this event again next year!
Planning was much easier this year, with the majority organized by 2 people who split up the tasks and started early. We had several other volunteers pitch in for other tasks, and several more join us on the day to set up, run the BBQ, run the tables and offer information, and join in the fun. We had outdoor games and giant bubbles set up for the kids, a local diverse portrait project offered for those wanted to create some art, and lots of food and snacks. It was so busy we had to go back to the grocery store for more hot dogs and supplies, so next year we will know to adjust our expectations of numbers accordingly. We had several service providers available to speak with families, including some new ones to the valley too, as well as the local book store come with lots of neurodiversity books to display for adults and young people.
A local organization (CBAL) took charge of promoting the event, which was really helpful to be able to share their reach to the community at large. A neurodiversity community resource document was also developed to share with attendees, though we were not successful in working out a suitable way to share with everyone, as only a handful of people added their email to the list, so that’s something we can improve for next year. Many excellent conversations were had to increase understanding and solidarity, share dreams for the future, and start new collaborations. We look forward to seeing what the future brings!
