75th Anniversary Reflections
What Would Dr. Racker Do?
In 2023 Racker will celebrate our 75th Anniversary! Our history is filled with amazing people doing important work. We are proud of our roots in this community and those people who helped shaped our agency. Please take a moment to enjoy this reflection from Dr. Andrew Rice, Racker Psychologist, and Sally Manning, SPOA and Family Navigator Partnership Coordinator.
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75th Anniversary Montage
As 2023 gains and gathers momentum, we’d like to take our 75th anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on decades of creating opportunities for people with disabilities. We’re pleased this year to be able to share new stories of courage, belonging, and advocacy, but we also wanted to share some of the stories you might not be familiar with that illustrate Racker’s heritage.
Please enjoy this slideshow featuring a narration by Cris Donovan, Racker Executive Director.
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The Importance of Family
The importance of family cannot be overstated. Whether it’s supporting an individual for just a day, or for a lifetime – the role of family has no boundaries.
Racker was founded in 1948 by families seeking educational enrichment and social opportunities for their loved ones. Our founding families were dedicated to creating an environment of belonging in an era when very few options existed.
Our mission today is to support people with disabilities and their families to lead fulfilling lives by providing opportunities to learn and be connected with others. And that is just as true today as it was 75 years ago when families banded together to ensure the voices of their loved ones were heard strongly, loudly, and proudly.
Two longtime Racker staff and disability advocates, Annemarie Mattison and Andy Russell, sat down to talk about the importance of family in their Clinical and Early Childhood experiences.
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Choreography of Therapy
In recognition of our 75th anniversary, we recently sat down with two long time clinicians at Racker to talk about their experience over the years. Meg Gillard, Occupational Therapist, and Susan Ruswick, Physical Therapist, spoke on the collaborative environment of supporting children in and out of Racker preschools and throughout the Early Childhood Program.
At times, especially in the therapy room, clinicians work collaboratively – like a sequenced Choreography of Therapy. Please enjoy this interview touching base on the wonderful work being done by our therapists and clinicians over the last several decades.
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Silver Tea (March 2023 Invitation)
In March of 2023 we brought it back as we reminisced on 75 years of belonging.
The Silver Tea is a tradition formed by our Victory Committee in the 1960s to help fund opportunities for their loved ones. They were a force of good and one of the pillars of our organization. Built on the idea of creating opportunities, the Silver Tea resonates strongly today as Racker continues the tradition of our founding families.
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Friends for Life
In honor of our 75th anniversary we’ve been sharing clips and conversations from several of our longtime employees. What better way to celebrate 75 years of Belonging than to take a look back on our roots, and the people working everyday towards cultivating a world where all people know they belong.
Please enjoy this reflection from three longtime Racker friends on the importance of friendship as part of their work-life balance.
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Roger Sibley Reflects
“No matter how big we get, we always have to think small. We always have to think about the individual kid, the individual that we’re serving, the families and the staff.”
Our effectiveness is not a matter of scale. Our effectiveness is a matter of intimacy.
Roger Sibley, former Executive Director, reflects on his time serving the Racker community with Dr. Franziska Racker and Dr. Richard Leavitt.
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The Circle of Courage
Mary Hutchens, former Counseling for School Success Director, reflects on The Circle Of Courage with Sarah Tarrow, current Counseling for School Success Director, and Sally Manning
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