Raising Special Kids celebrated its 45th anniversary with a joyous event on April 26, 2024. The event, emceed by Gina Maravilla, was a vibrant celebration of the organization’s history of empowering Arizona families of children with disabilities.
The event included honoring exemplary individuals and organizations with the prestigious Families First Awards. The recipients for 2020-2022 were the Arizona Department of Education, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), recognized for their collaborative efforts during the COVID-19 public health emergency to ensure Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) providers could assist and support students with disabilities to participate in their remote education/distance learning.
The 2023 Families First Award was presented to Renaldo Fowler, Senior Staff Advocate at Disability Rights Arizona, for his collaborative work in systems change and his compassion for Arizona families of children with disabilities.
During the event, families, professionals, and community leaders enjoyed music by the dance band Rokca Roxz & Hits, led by Roxana Estrada. Heartfelt speeches and recognition of outstanding contributions made the event special.
“This event was a joyful celebration of our mission and the incredible individuals and organizations who have supported us,” said Christopher Tiffany, Executive Director of Raising Special Kids. “We are immensely proud of the impact we’ve made and remain dedicated to our vision of ensuring families have the support, information, training and hope they need.”
Raising Special Kids continues to innovate and expand its services to better serve the community. If you would like to support RSK’s continuing efforts to serve Arizona families, click here.