Join us for the 17th Annual Celebration Awards!
Hosted by: Celebration Awards Committee of Lehigh & Northampton Counties
March 28, 2023 | 11:30 AM
Location: The Lehigh Valley Hotel & Conference Center
300 Gateway Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18017
(Hotel is wheelchair accessible.)
The Celebration Awards is an event that was created to honor March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This annual campaign, led by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still face in connecting to the communities in which they live. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth also proclaims March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month annually.
The Celebration Awards is a collaborative effort on behalf of The Arc of Lehigh & Northampton Counties, Northampton County, Lehigh County and our Support Coordination agencies Service Access Management, Inc. and Quality Progressions. Just about every day, individuals with disabilities in our community accomplish amazing things, and this is our chance to honor their achievements!
Purchase tickets using the button below.
Register by: March 15, 2023
Please note: Dress for this event is business casual.
2023 Celebration Awards
2023 Lehigh County Honorees
Austin Sommer
Education Achievement
Grace Abel
Employment Achievement
Judith Henritzy
Exemplary Citizenship
Barandon Smith
Personal Achievement
Brandon Gessitz
Self Advocacy Achievement
Hilary Stonewall
Transition Achievement
2023 Northampton County Honorees
Derek Santamassino
Education Achievement
Megan Chorney
Employment Achievement
Kathryn Plentus
Exemplary Citizenship
Tara Gergar
Personal Achievement
John Bubba
Self Advocacy Achievement
Lauren Dietrick
Transition Achievement
Keynote Speaker
Jean M. Searle, Self Advocate
Jean Searle is a longtime self-advocate and a force within the disability rights movement-having experienced the trauma of institutionalization firsthand. Encouraged by advocates and friends, and with the help of an agency in Philadelphia, Jean moved out of Pennhurst to assisted living arrangements in 1984. Jean was employed by the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and Disability Rights Pennsylvania, where she worked for more than 25 years. She also served as a PA Developmental Disabilities Council member for more than 15 years.
Believing it is imperative that the lessons embodied in the Pennhurst campus remain as an example for the future, Jean has become a driving force within the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance and served as co-president. Jean currently directs her own services and lives in an apartment in Harrisburg, PA. She is a very independent woman and a fierce advocate for people with disabilities.
Register Via Mail
If you prefer to submit your registration via mail, please download the registration form and send it with your check, payable to The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, to:
The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Celebration Awards
2289 Avenue A
Bethlehem, PA 18049
*Registration forms must be received by March 15, 2023.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM
Contact Us
If you have questions or need help with registration, please contact Kodi Berry at (610) 849-8076 ext. 325 or Jessica McKenty at (610) 849-8076 ext. 330 or email [email protected].
