ADA Committee Being Honored For Dance Program

Fair Lawn's ADA Committee is set to be honored by the Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties Thursday.

Arc, a nonprofit which helps people with developmental disabilities, is presenting the committee with the Steve and Ana Chepurko Award for Recreation in recognition of their successful monthly dance program.

"It's an honor," ADA Committee Co-Chair Steve Weinstein said. "We're humbled by it."

Weinstein joined the committee in 2010 when he was a member of the Fair Lawn Council. They hoped to "revitalize" the committee, and found that there were no recreational programs for developmentally disabled people in town, he said. Arc had just lost the space they had been using for dances, so it made sense to host it in the Fair Lawn Community Center, according to Co-Chair Marianne Pettineo.

"We have our community center, which is meant for that, so we thought we should have it here," Weinstein said.

The first dance had a turnout of 85 people and they have grown from there, according to Pettineo. The dances feature a DJ and refreshments. Sometimes there's a theme, like a luau or spring fling. Some of the events have drawn crowds of more than 200 people. The dances are all run by volunteers.

"It's been great to see the smiles on people who participate," Weinstein said.

The next dance is set for Friday, the day after the ADA Committee wins the award, in the community center.

The ADA Committee has also been busy working toward building a barrier-free playground in Fair Lawn. The playground would allow children to play side-by-side on the equipment regardless of their physical abilities. The committee, aided by various community groups, has been raising funds for that project. 

The award being given to the committee Thursday specifically recognizes those "who devoted their time and energies to ensuring that people with developmental disabilities have access to recreation and leisure opportunities in the community."

Weinstein said they didn't do it for awards, but "it's nice to know people are appreciating it."

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