Boukus to be remembered at PARC Spring Dance

PLAINVILLE - PARC will honor longtime board members and clients as well as the late state Rep. Betty Boukus for her support of the nonprofit organization during its 60th anniversary Spring Dance on Saturday, April 1, at Nuchie's Restaurant at 164 Center St. in Bristol.

The event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the restaurant at 164 Center St., Bristol. Admission includes a family-style dinner, two hours of beer and wine, and music by DJ David Robinson. Prizes will also be offered.

PARC, at 28 E. Maple St., provides services for people with developmental disabilities in central Connecticut.

"We serve people with developmental disabilities and provide them with social and recreational programs to participate in, such as swimming, basketball and arts and crafts projects around the holidays," said Erica Donovan, PARC's executive director for three years. "We also help them choose foods for a healthy diet and teach them other life skills. Our staff works hard to ensure that there are age and ability-appropriate programs available."

At the dance, PARC will present its John Sullivan award to Jane Mercure, a board member and one of the founders of PARC, and Rogers Orchards. Each year, the organization chooses one individual and one business supporter to honor.

"Jane's daughter, Maureen, had a disability and as a parent she found that, in 1957, there was very little to do in the way of activities for her," said Donovan. "She got together with other parents of children with disabilities so that they could play and participate in activities together. It is from this group of three or four parents that PARC was born."

PARC will present its Shining Star award to Maureen Mercure.

"Our board realized that we haven't done enough for our senior members," said Donovan. "Recently we have been putting together more programs for those aging with developmental disabilities, thanks to a grant from United Way. We take people out to movies or hold tea parties for them. Maureen has been so excited about it and has really started to come out of her shell. She is talking to everyone she knows about the programs."

State Rep. William Petit Jr. will be presenting a proclamation in honor of Boukus.

Donovan said Boukus was one of PARC's most enthusiastic supporters.

"She was a people's politician, she was very involved and genuinely cared," said Donovan. "Our members loved her. She came out to our spring dance every year with her husband and would speak at our walkathons. She advocated for people with disabilities and did a lot of lobbying years back when the vision of people with developmental disabilities was changing. At the state level, she pushed for Americans with Disabilities Act legislation that applied for people with developmental disabilities."

Admission is $50 per person or $29 per student or PARC member.

To buy Spring Dance tickets or for more information, call PARC at 860-747-0316 or visit parcdisabilitiesct.org.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.