It’s always a magical time when your community gets together to celebrate—be it a birthday party, a series season premiere, a sports match or the holidays. We wanted to celebrate the end of the summer with an ice cream social, and we were eager for an afternoon filled with community and joy.
We opened the doors to our studio at 2:00 p.m. for our community seeking connection and refuge on the hot August day. Thanks to a generous donation from Boom Town Creamery, attendees were welcomed with the sweet smell of ice cream and warm greetings from local vendors. Slowly, what started as a handful of people turned into 74 ice cream lovers!
We met new faces and embraced familiar ones. One volunteer jumped on board at the last minute after Googling “volunteer opportunities for autism” and decided he had to be a part of the social. Another family of five came along after meeting our Executive Director, Kelly Fry, at an event a week prior—getting connected for the first time. One little LEGO Camp participant, Teddy, ran excitedly to our Director of Community Engagement, Crystal Frost, telling her “I told you I’d be back!” His family let our team know that they’d be starting a walk team for the 2027 AutismOklahoma Walk honoring Teddy. Even some of our neighbors in Chesapeake Community Plaza had to see what all the joy was about and stopped by with their families and participants.
What started as a simple ice cream social became so much more. Sometimes, simply being together is reason enough to celebrate.
