IRC Celebrates Disability at Annual Fundraiser

Each year Inland Regional Center (IRC) hosts an immersive party experience for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. This year’s event, I Love the 80s, featured the fun, fashion, and flair of the 1980s.

Club Center Events in San Bernardino gave guests a blast from the past with blacklights, neon décor, and Rubik’s Cube centerpieces. I Love the 80s, historically known as Casino Night, offered guests the opportunity to try their luck and skill in various gaming areas. Traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette, and bingo were familiar favorites. Upping the ante at this year’s event, were full-sized arcade classics like PacMan, Ms. PacMan, Tetris, Space Invaders, and Asteroids! Guests and volunteers alike donned their 80s best. Outfits featuring leg warmers, neon polo shirts, and parachute pants did not disappoint! DJ George Gonzalez of Mass Appeal Entertainment kept the guests dancing all night to 80s hits, with Michael Jackson songs being a clear crowd favorite. A pizza party, photo booth, and glow-in-the-dark face paint and raffle prizes made it a night to remember. The event also hosted special guest Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, who recognized the IRC Consumer Advisory Committee for it’s work serving the young people with disabilities in the Inland Empire.

IRC Event Developer Daisy Quiroz had this to say about the event, “The moment you see the full picture, the excited attendees, the incredible decor, food, and entertainment, is the moment you see it all come together. At the end of the day, our Consumers are simply looking to have a great time! That’s my goal for all of the events I create for our agency”.

I Love the 80s also served as a fundraiser for Inland Regional Center’s Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is a social and advocacy group for teens and adults who receive IRC services. Throughout the year the CAC hosts events such as movie nights, dances, and bike rides for its members. The group also has an educational component with trainings on voter’s registration, disability rights, dating etiquette, employment readiness, and more. Most importantly the group allows IRC Consumers the ability to make friends in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Each year, the CAC elects leadership to represent them and their interests.  CAC President, Ryan Nelson, described the significance of the group, “I think the CAC is important because it helps Consumers with job training and teaches them how to get a job. We also hold consumer events to get the whole community involved!”

More than $3,500 was raised at I Love the 80s, to benefit the IRC CAC. This event was made possible through a partnership with IRC vendor In-Roads Creative Programs.

About Inland Regional Center

Inland Regional Center (IRC) is one of 21 Regional Centers in California serving people with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. IRC is the primary provider of case management services to people with developmental disabilities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, serving more than 34,000 Consumers. For more information about Inland Regional Center and our services visit www.inlandrc.org.