01/15/2026
We were happy to hold our annual post-holiday get-together the other night at Northwest Arena. Members of the Boards of Directors of The Resource Center, Filling the Gap and Chautauqua Connections gathered with administrative staff of the three organizations for food, fellowship and fun. The event also served as the Annual Membership Meeting for Chautauqua Connections.
Before the dinner meeting, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the sport of Backyard Curling from the Arena’s Executive Director, Keith Martin. Keith talked about the evolution of the sport at the Arena, including the growth in the number of youths and adults with disabilities who participate in curling. (Because of his efforts to have people with disabilities take part in curling, we recently presented Keith with our Henry Wesley Advocate of the Year Award.) Keith demonstrated how the sport is played, and several attendees tried their hand at sliding a stone along the ice.
Afterward, we moved upstairs for a tour of TheZone by Program Director John Kinder Jr. TheZone will be an interactive play space for toddlers through pre-teens that connects sports with science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Once construction wraps up in spring, the interactive exhibits will be set up, and TheZone is scheduled to open this summer.
We thank Keith, John and the rest of the Northwest Arena staff for their hospitality and for providing a great space for our event, and we thank Steener's PUB for providing a delicious dinner. Most importantly, we thank all of our Board members for donating their time, wisdom and expertise in furthering the missions of our organizations. In appreciation of their efforts, we presented each Board member with a set of ceramic coasters made by people with disabilities at our KeyBank Art House at Edgewater.
TheZone
