Senior Center Hosts 13th Annual Disability Carnival – T. S. Owen

The Senior Center was hopping with activity on Sunday as hundreds of families and individuals faced with disabilities from around the Los Angeles area enjoyed food, games, prizes and companionship at the 13th annual Culver City Kids Carnival.
Billed as a Festival of Fun and hosted by the City, the Senior Citizens Association and the Exchange Club, attendees from toddlers to seniors celebrated in the carnival atmosphere to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Disability Awareness Month.
“We had more than 700 RSVPs,” said city Senior and Social Services Specialist Darren Uhl, who asked that it not be promoted before the event because while the Carnival is free, the space is limited and already spoken for. “It’s grown every year.”
It was a carnival for kids but attendees were all ages. Entertainment included karaoke, fish ponds and ball toss games, crafts and games, photos, a petting zoo, and resource tables of groups and support services for the disabled from around Los Angeles. There was even a quiet room for the over-stimulated to relax and hang out.
The Culver City Neighborhood Girl Scouts helped youngsters net rubber duckies for prizes in the pond in the courtyard. Red-shirted Culver City Exchange Club members cooked and served hot dogs and burgers, passed out pizza and lemonade, popped corn and made cotton candy, managed the crafts table and passed out stuffies for prizes while a balloon artist collected a long line and face painters attracted crowds.
A puppeteer manipulated dancing marionettes in the lobby after the photographer closed up shop and the petting zoo had a steady stream of fascinated animal admirers for the camel, ducks, bunnies and goats.
Faced with the challenges of personal disabilities and families with disabled members, all were able to forget those cares for an afternoon and just enjoy the fun and take home the memories and prizes.
Sponsored by the Exchange Club and Senior Citizens Association, the annual Carnival comes to life with the help of Culver City’s Disability Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Department, the Girl Scouts, Exchange Club and Senior Center volunteers.