WQXE NEWS

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland celebrated the growth of the organization as they cut the ribbon Thursday on their new headquarters, located at 1105 Julianna Court (Suite 2) in Elizabethtown.

The association, which supports individuals with Down syndrome and their families “by fostering celebration, education, advocacy, and service,” says it will be able to streamline operations by offering a centralized hub for services and events along with administrative offices and meeting spaces.

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland Executive Director Tonya House said the opening is a celebration of how far the association has come.

“Six years ago, right at six years ago, this organization started and then COVID really derailed us, so we are just so thrilled that we finally are to this point that we have a home and all of this stuff is out of my basement and my garage, but we’re just thrilled for the opportunity that this is going to give our families,” House said.

Association board president Jon Anderson said lots of hard work went into reaching this point, and House is at the center of those efforts.

“Tonya has worked tirelessly in promoting our organization and connecting families and connecting so many people in the community, and that has allowed us to continue to take those steps from when we started the organization back in July of 2018,” Anderson said.

Visit www.dsheartland.org for more information.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is inviting the community to help support its students as the college hosts its inaugural ECTC Giving Day Thursday.

ECTC says donations will support student needs such as scholarships, transportation assistance, and the Student Emergency Fund, among other areas. With this year being the college’s 60th anniversary, one of the event goals is to have at least 60 donors give $60.

One specific way to support ECTC students is by donating to the Gowns for Grads initiative. ECTC Director of Admissions and Assessment Judy Akers said that $50 will provide a student with a cap, gown, and tassel.

“We are trying to make sure that all of our graduates have the opportunity to graduate without worrying about the cost of buying a gown to participate in graduation,” Akers said.

ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate previously told Quicksie that supporting the college means supporting a large, blended community.

“When you really step back and look at what Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is, it’s really like this perfect melting pot because, you know, roughly half of our students are that traditional student who is there to take a full-time load of classes, and that’s really their job,” Pate said. “When you’re 18 and a freshman in college and your job is to pass your classes. So we’ve got that, but then we’ve also got that mix of folks who have entered into a job or an initial career, and they’re coming back.”

Find more information and a link to the Giving Day page on ECTC’s website or Facebook page.

The City of Elizabethtown is excited to host its second Lawn Party at the Lake Concert Series this summer.

“It is held every second Wednesday at the bandstand at Freeman Lake Park off of the Blue Heron Road entrance,” said Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles. “We are offering multiple concerts with family friendly events throughout the summer.”

Pyles said the city had a goal of bringing something for everybody to Freeman Lake Park this summer when selecting the concert series artists.

June 12 will see The Rumors. Radiotronic will perform on July 10. The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Devou-Do Daddies will take the stage on August 7. Bourbon Revival wraps up the concert series on September 11.

Each date will offer food vendors, and while outside alcohol is not permitted alcoholic beverages will be on sale.

“The concert series is totally free and family friendly,” Pyles said. “The gates will open at 5.30 p.m. and the acts will take the stage around 6.30, so it gives you a little bit of time to come in and get seated. It is festival style seating, so we ask that people bring lawn chairs, you can bring blankets. We will have picnic tables, but it’s very, very casual.”

Pyles said the first year for the concert series was a successful one, and there’s nowhere to go but up.

“We had such a wonderful turnout for last year after we got through the rain, but we’re very, very excited,” Pyles said. “The bandstand at Freeman Lake is such a beautiful fixture in our community. If you haven’t been out to see it, it is the perfect place to relax after a hard day, and we’re really excited.”

Follow the Elizabethtown City Events Facebook page for more information and updates.