United Spinal Association teamed up with PepsiCo to offer kids with disabilities a fun-filled day of recreational activities and games during PepsiCo’s 3rd annual Kids Sports Spectacular (KSS) event held on September 29th at the company’s World Headquarters in Purchase, NY.

Volunteers from United Spinal and other disability organizations offered instruction in a variety of adaptive sports including basketball, softball, tennis, and hand cycling, to teach the importance of self-esteem, teamwork, and friendship.

The event was hosted by EnAble, PepsiCo’s employee network that promotes diversity and the inclusion of people with different abilities.

“We are delighted to have had another opportunity to help PepsiCo in making Kids Sports Spectacular a big success. This event, which seems to get better every year, is a testament to how much we can achieve by combining our resources and expertise to promote inclusion. I think the smiles and enthusiasm exhibited by the kids is proof of that,” said Marlene Perkins, United Spinal VP of Outreach and Membership.

Lynda Costa, president of PepsiCo’s Westchester EnAble, said partnering with nonprofit organizations that live and breathe the issues impacting people with different abilities everyday is an important component to the event’s success.

“PepsiCo’s Kids Sports Spectacular would not be possible without the support of organizations such as United Spinal Association. They bring so much to the table. We believe in taking a harmonized approach to promoting diversity and inclusion. We aren’t experts in disability issues, so gaining the insight and support of knowledgeable disability groups and nonprofit organizations make these events even more rewarding for everyone involved.”

Costa added, “We had approximately 60 kids participate this year, almost twice as many as last year. There is a lot of work that goes into planning this event. We tried to include more interactive games for the kids. We wanted to ensure that all games were accessible, but also visually stimulating.”

“United Spinal Association was very helpful in reaching out to all the schools and getting us to our total of almost 60 children. It really is a very humbling experience and it makes both Mary Anne and I feel especially proud when we can bring some smiles to the young children’s faces. Not sure we could have the event without United Spinal Association’s support,” said Sandra DeQuatro of PepsiCo, who along with Maryanne Herrick were leaders in planning KSS.

KSS brought together local school children and staff from UCP of Westchester, Isaac E. Young Boces, and Rye Lake Campus Boces. This year, PepsiCo also welcomed the participation of more caregivers and parents than ever before. Errol Rivera, a teacher at Isaac E. Young middle school in New Rochelle, NY who was attending KSS for the first time said it was a great outing for his students, as well as their family members and aids. “We do not have too many opportunities to bring parents, students, and teachers together to interact at a fun event like this. It is a great opportunity to extend the learning experience outside of the classroom.”

Lisa Locatelli, also a teacher at Isaac E. Young, added “In class, we try to present our students with as many learning opportunities as possible, whether it is art, music, dance, or physical education. This event offers students another outlet to learn various skills that will benefit them in life. We are grateful to PepsiCo and organizations like United Spinal for offering this wonderful opportunity for our students.”

Since September 2005, United Spinal has partnered with EnAble to advise, train, and consult PepsiCo staff on accessibility-related matters and promote diversity, inclusion, and disability awareness.