FROM STAFF REPORTS

PELHAM – The Arc of Shelby County will host an event celebrating 45 years of service to the Shelby County community. The 45th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Community Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Pelham Civic Complex. The 45th Anniversary Celebration event is presented by SouthWest Water Company and sponsored by Alabama Power Company.

The Arc of Shelby County was founded as an advocacy organization in 1974 by a group of concerned parents. Since that time, The Arc of Shelby County has grown to serve over 1,500 individuals with intellectual disabilities and families in Shelby County each year through programs in early intervention, employment and community living.

Through advocacy, coaching and support, The Arc of Shelby County empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities to achieve their goals.

The Arc of Shelby County will be celebrating this milestone, while also recognizing participants and families, as well as community partners who have helped make possible the organization’s continued success. Being recognized at the event with the Legacy Partner Award will be United Way of Central Alabama, the Shelby County Commission, Brookwood Baptist Shelby Medical Center, the Alabama Department of Mental Health, and the Alabama Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. The event will be emceed by Hannah Ward, reporter for WBRC FOX 6 News.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating an incredible 45 years of serving the Shelby County community. Throughout the years we have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful families and we are looking forward to celebrating with them,” says Karen Stokes, Executive Director of The Arc of Shelby County. “We are also so grateful to those who have made it possible for us to continue to grow and expand in order to meet the needs of those we serve. We are honored to be able to recognize them for their years of steadfast support.”

All current and former participants and families, as well as members of the community, are invited to attend.

Tickets for the 45th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Community Awards Dinner are $40 per person or $75 per couple. Table sponsorships are also available for $500. All proceeds from the 45th Annual Celebration will benefit The Arc of Shelby County.

For more information on the 45th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Community Awards Dinner or on The Arc of Shelby County, visit Thearcofshelby.org.