On Friday, April 26, Unified Pennridge hosted its fourth annual April Showers event. With the support of local fire companies, Pennridge High School students, including members from the Autistic Support and Life Skills classrooms, were invited to run or walk through the water sprayed by overhead hoses. Many students wore leis around their necks, and some even wore inflatable tubes.

April Showers is just one of the events Unified Pennridge hosts throughout the year, with the goal of building a more inclusive community. It allows those with and without disabilities to join together and build connections in club activities and sports. The club also participates in the Polar Plunge and hosts several fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. They spread awareness through speeches at high school football games and by holding a Unified night during one of the high school basketball games. On top of that, they have a Unified Bocce team and Unified Track and Field team, allowing students with and without disabilities to play together. Unified Sports allows students with disabilities to be on a high school team for the first time and gain experience. This allows students to grow as they build their social skills and learn about teamwork.

The first year Pennridge had Unified Sports was in 2019. Angela James, one of the advisors for Unified Sports, describes her favorite memory in Unified as being the first year when the team went to states for track. “Everyone was cheering for our kids. The kids were beaming,” she described. Ava Vesey, a member of Unified Pennridge, expressed that April Showers “gives the athletes in Unified something to look forward to each year.” The idea for April Showers came from the pandemic. Unified Pennridge still wanted to raise money despite the pandemic preventing them from entering the city and taking the Polar Plunge. James stated, “It was the first thing following the pandemic where everyone was allowed to be together. It was a lot of fun for kids to be kids.” A lot of planning goes into the event. They start to plan in January, working to coordinate with local fire departments, spreading awareness through social media and posters, setting up and sending out a sign-up sheet and fundraising page, and getting music for the day. To keep themselves organized, they have a chart that they check off every month. Vesey, along with other club members, dedicates anywhere from four to five hours to Unified each week. She loves spending time with the kids. “Gavin is one of the kids, and we made up a handshake. It is one of the things that makes our friendship so special,” Vesey stated.

To James, Unified means everybody has a space to be themselves and be respected. “We are all human and are all just people, and you will find similarities in everyone you talk to. You just have to give it a chance.” April Showers, along with everything Unified Pennridge does, helps set that example to the school and community.

SOURCES

Pennridge High School Clubs and Activities – https://www.pennridge.org/domain/1248
UNIFIED Canvas About Page – https://pennridge.instructure.com/courses/7371
District Communication Office April Showers 2023 – https://www.pennridge.org/cms/lib/PA50000604/Centricity/ModuleInstance/5879/4_6_23%20The%20Pennridge%20High%20School%20Community%20gets%20ready%20for%20April%20Showers%20with%20pictures.pdf
The Reporter Pennridge holds April Showers – https://www.thereporteronline.com/2024/04/24/pennridge-high-school-to-hold-unified-april-showers-event-on-april-26/
Bucks County Herald April Showers Brings Laughs and Smiles – https://buckscountyherald.com/stories/april-showers-bring-many-laughs-and-smiles-unified-pennridge-club-perkasie,24603
Upper Darby School District – April Showers – Upper Darby School DistrictUpper Darby School Districthttps://pa02209738.schoolwires.net › site
Hermitage Schools – https://www.sharonherald.com/news/april-showers-fundraiser-to-return-to-hermitage-schools/article_eb878c5c-e2d6-11ed-9e57-6312ca7ca8ca.html