Wood County Board of Development Disabilities (WCBDD) is pleased to announce its 4^th Annual Celebrity Basketball Game on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, from 5:30PM-7:30PM at the Dolores Black Gymnasium at the BG Community Center. Throughout the month of March, and the remainder of the year 2023, WCBDD will be hosting a variety of events in an effort to increase awareness in our community about individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our greatest hope is to promote integration for and inclusion of ALL people within their communities.

The Celebrity Basketball game will feature our Special Olympics Wood County Wildcat basketball athletes battling a team of local celebrities. Doors will open at 5PM and events will start at 5:30PM. The night will begin by featuring our Basketball Skills athletes, showing off the skills they have learned this season. Following, there will be two 30- minutes games with a running clock.  Please bring a non-perishable food item for admission. Our Advocacy groups, People First and Aktion Club, will be collecting items to donate to a local food bank. Our Venturing Crew members will also be in attendance to recruit new members!

We have several fun activities planned for the game this year:

·        A professional DJ and announcer will be there for additional entertainment.

·        There will be a half-court contest and a chance to win a small prize.

·        BGSU mascots, Freddie and Freida, will be in attendance.

·        A performance from iDance Adaptive Performing Arts Center.

WCBDD is seeking additional local “celebrities” to participate in the Celebrity Basketball Game. This may include local officials and representatives, law enforcement, business owners, News Teams, and more. Anyone interested in participating may contact Charese Botjer, Communications and Community Engagement Manager at WCBDD, by phone at 419-419-7923 or email, cbotjer@woodcountydd.org. Those participating in the game will receive a Wildcats VS. Celebrity Basketball shirt and will be introduced before the game begins.

Charese Botjer, Communications and Community Engagement Manager, says this event is incredibly important to the WCBDD community and individuals served. “Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities is committed to inclusion 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Although Developmental Disabilities Month is celebrated in March, it is our mission to celebrate inclusion and educate beyond the month of March. Our athletes, individuals served, and entire community look forward to this event each year because it unites our community as one. Please consider joining us this year, as a player or simply a spectator, to celebrate the beauty of inclusion.”

If you would like to play in the Celebrity Basketball Game, please RSVP here.