A lasagna dinner and an open house of a new gift shop are being planned for a benefit at Quadco Rehabilitation Center in December.
Speaking at the regular monthly meeting of the Quadco Administrative/Non-Profit Boards on Tuesday (Nov. 27), Quadco Executive Director Bruce Abell said the fundraiser will include a dinner in the cafeteria at the center’s Stryker building on Dec. 6 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. The dinner will feature lasagna, salad, breadsticks dessert and drink for a free will donation.
The event will also be an open house for a new gift shop. Mr. Abell said now that their transportation system has moved into another building down the road from Quadco, staff members have been cleaning and decorating the former bus barn behind their Stryker building to turn it into a gift shop.
Stryker Manager Jessica Douglass showed the board members items crafted by the workers at Quadco that will be in the gift shop that is being called, “the Carriage House Cottage.”
The gift items include area sports team necklaces and bracelets, jewelry, country-style signs, and jars filled with cookie, brownie, cake and soup mixes. There will also be baked goods available for sale.
The proceeds are to go for Quadco participants who need help with field trip entrance fees, meals and other activities they enjoy.
Mr. Abell said he hopes that people who come that night will look around and find out more about what goes on at the center.
He said the event is just another example of how the center promotes community integration for the individuals who participate in Quadco programs.
He pointed to the SUBWAY® Restaurants operated by Quadco that provide good opportunities for workers to meet with people from the community and receive training that can lead to jobs in the community as well.
Mr. Abell also mentioned the crews of workers from Quadco who go to the Altenloh, Brinck & Co. Trufast plant in Bryan where they are accepted as part of the workforce there and are included in their company Christmas party each year.
He further mentioned the Quadco book club that goes to the coffee shop on the square in Bryan for the latest books they want to read.
All of these and the up-coming benefit point to programs, events and activities that Quadco does to promote more community inclusion and support for employment for their participants.
“And we’re going to be doing more of that,” Mr. Abell promised the board members.
Program Director Philip Zuver mentioned that a group from Quadco’s Northwest Products division has been volunteering at the Care and Share 10,000 Villages shop in Archbold unpacking merchandise and assembling gift boxes.
He said groups have also been working on crafts for the fundraiser, stirring up some new dishes in the healthy living club, cheering on their favorite teams in the NCAA football club and are looking forward to the start of the NASCAR season, again.
Recent field trips included visits to Sauder Village, the Defiance YMCA, and the River City Bowl-A-Way in Napoleon.
Mr. Zuver announced that three new fragrances have been added to Quadco’s line of Brush Creek Candles for the holidays. He said the popular melting tarts will now be available in scents called “Country Christmas,” “Harvest Spice” and “Peppermint Sticks.”
He said candles will be available for sale during the Dec. 6 benefit.
Marketing Director Bill Priest said that Stryker Police Chief Steve Schlosser was the speaker for a Veteran’s Day observance held at the Stryker building.
He showed the board members photos of a Halloween party held at the center. There were costume contests and pumpkin decorating contests using pumpkins grown in the Stryker garden this year.
Mr. Priest also mentioned that Quadco held a Thanksgiving dinner in Stryker for participants from all the facilities on Nov. 20.
Quadco Board President Barb Heer reminded the group that the Quadco Christmas Party will be held on Dec. 13. The annual party will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Defiance from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
She also reminded the board members that there will be no board meeting in December. The next regular board meeting will be held on January 22, 2013, beginning with the annual organizational meeting at 11:30 a.m. and the regular board meeting at noon in the Stryker main conference room.
