The Columbus Day Parade played host a to a very special group this year. The Family Residences and Essential Enterprises’ (FREE) Players Drum Corps made history as they became the first special needs drum corps to march in the New York City Columbus Day Parade.
The group marched up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 72nd Street with a red carpet performance on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets.
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) founded in 1977 and headquartered in Old Bethpage, benefits and proudly supports more than 3,500 individuals with intellectual disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. It is the mission of FREE to help individuals of all abilities realize their full potential. FREE provides a diverse array of supports and services including: housing, recovery services, transition to work, employment, day, community and family services, respite, crisis services, education and after-school support, primary and specialty health care and advocacy.
The Free Players Drum Corps was developed at FREE’s Day Program in Old Bethpage. It is part of a unique theatre arts curriculum for adult men and women with talent and similar interests who have autism and other developmental disabilities. Drum Corps has been therapeutic for many of the adults that attend the program, as rhythm is a powerful tool that permeates throughout the brain.
The Corps is comprised of three sections: a drumline, color guard and a front ensemble. They never take a season off and perform in parades, competitions and festivals year round. By performing in the community, the Drum Corps is helping to dissolve boundaries and educate the community on the abilities of individuals with disabilities rather than focusing on their differences. The program fosters and promotes independence, productivity and individual development in a fun, creative environment.
For more information on FREE, please call 516-870-7000 or visit www.familyres.org.
