LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – ViaQuest held a fashion show this afternoon to give participants in their day programs a chance to show off their creativity and style.
The organization serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the Ohio region. Organizers said Lima was the perfect central location to bring together the northwest region for the show. The event featured categories such as sportswear, fantasy, and fall fashion. Each participant chose the category that interested them most, then hit the runway.
“They could sign up for the category that they wanted to walk in, so it's their interest that they're most passionate, most excited about—to get the most excitement that we can here,” said Jessica Bare, northwest region administrator at ViaQuest.
“In our planning process, we do include those individuals that we serve, so their input goes directly into making the day what they want it to be, which I think is really cool,” said Kelsey Ferretti of ViaQuest.
“Without our individuals, none of us would be here. We value our individuals—this is the main reason why most of us are career-long employees. It's because we want to make a difference in those individuals’ lives,” said Julian Robb of ViaQuest.
Organizers say their goal was to let everyone express their individuality and give them a chance to shine.
