LifeLinks CLASS Got Talent!
CHELMSFORD, MA – On a sunny summer afternoon, a crowd roared with approval and joyously sang along to a Neil Diamond classic. But they weren’t singing “Sweet Caroline” and celebrating home runs or double plays at Fenway Park. Nor were they cheering on the Spinners at LeLacheur Park.
No, the scene of the raucous rendition of “Coming to America” took place at Omni Way in Chelmsford at the annual LifeLinks Art & Talent Show on August 8.
Organized by the organization’s Urban Youth Interns, the talent show is always a high point on the summer calendar. Friends, family, donors, interns, and staff were treated to a day of singing and dancing, where the hard work of all the performers was on full display.
“If I could describe what was happening that afternoon, it’s an incredible sense of love,” says LifeLinks/CLASS CEO Jean Phelps. “The incredible levels of support and encouragement being expressed by all of the people in the audience are moving. It just felt really good to be in the room, and I want to thank you all for giving us that moment.”
As part of the festivities, members of the Day Habilitation Program proudly displayed their artwork around the facility for attendees to enjoy, in an explosion of color that turned the first floor into a full-fledged art gallery.
“Where else would you rather be today?” asks Day Habilitation Services Director Shawn Nault. “When we talk about a culture of inclusion, this is what we mean. The passion of the people we serve in their performance is matched by the passion of the summer interns who put on the show, and that’s how lifelong memories are made.”