Talent Show features local of any age

By Anne Eickstadt

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
Five year-old Saniya Hernandez belts out “Girl on Fire” (with a little help from her mom and Dan Holmes) during her audition for Boone County’s Got Talent.

Editor

This Rotary fundraiser on Saturday, March 10, will benefit the New Horizons Adult Day Program and other community and international projects. New Horizons is an adult day program for individuals aged 21 and older with disabilities. NASR Belvidere uses leisure and recreation to help people with disabilities develop and enhance their quality of life. New Horizons increases the participant’s involvement in the community as well as continued growth and training in leisure life skills.

“The program is sponsored by the Belvidere Park District for young adults with special needs who need day care,” said Naomi Schultz of the Belvidere Rotary Club. The money this year, locally, is going to a ‘playground’ for disabled young adults. This is our third talent show. Hopefully, this one will make it come true”

“The surfacing that will make the play area accessible will cost close to $20,000,” said Katie Humphrey of NASR at the Belvidere Park District. “The area will have equipment that will engage children and adults with disabilities.”

“Some of the money will be going internationally for a pre-school program in a village in Morocco,” said Moha Bouacha, past president of the Belvidere Rotary Club. “We already have a $52,000 grant approved for that project. The money will go to help renovate three classrooms and bathroom facilities and a small toddlers playground. It will provide desks and chairs for 150 kids, offices for teachers and LCD panels. It will also be used to purchase backpacks with school supplies, copiers and printers. The renovation will start at the end of June and go through August. All the supplies and equipment will be put in place in August.

“Some of our members will travel there at the end of September to see the facilities. We are doing this through the Rotarian International Main Office. The 6420 District in Northern Illinois is the host club for this project in Casablanca, Morocco.”

“This show brings out some of the best in Boone County,” said Schultz. “It is not a contest, it is a show. Where else are these young kids going to have a chance to perform?”

“We have been working for two years to

For complete article, pick up the March 7 Belvidere Daily Republican.