BATAVIA, Ohio — The Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities is collecting gently used formal attire, shoes and accessories to help its clients get ready for this year’s Great Banquet, a red-carpet celebration for teens and adults with special needs.
The Great Banquet is presented by the Cincinnati nonprofit Kingdom Inclusion and Southeast Cincinnati Young Life Capernaum. This year’s event is set for Oct. 16 in Cincinnati and offers honored guests an evening of elegant dining, awards and dancing at no cost, according to Kingdom Inclusion. Registration opens Sept. 4.
Clermont DD said in a Facebook post that it wants its guests to “look their best, feel confident and step onto the red carpet ready to be celebrated,” and is accepting donations of dresses, suits and dress shoes through September so guests have something to wear.
Donations can be dropped off at Crossroads Church’s East Side campus, in Meeting Room A, on Sundays in September from 9 a.m. to noon, or at Crossroads Chapel on Sept. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the agency said.
Clermont DD is a public agency that provides support services — including day programs, community employment, residential supports and service coordination — to Clermont County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities from early intervention through adulthood.
Kingdom Inclusion, a registered nonprofit, has held the Great Banquet annually in recent years, drawing honored guests from across the Cincinnati region for a celebration the organization describes as breaking down barriers and fostering belonging for people with special needs.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Kingdom Inclusion.