Senate Resolution No. 833

BY: Senator KENNEDY

COMMENDING Aspire of WNY upon the occasion of
celebrating its 70th Anniversary

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that the quality
and character of life in this great Empire State is greatly enriched by
the faithful and diligent work of those organizations which serve to
meet the special needs of the community and its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend Aspire of WNY upon the occasion of celebrating its 70th
Anniversary; and

WHEREAS, For the past seven decades, Aspire of WNY has provided a
full range of services to both children and adults with developmental
disorders; and

WHEREAS, After her child was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in 1945,
Mary Moss mobilized friends, family and other parents of children with
cerebral palsy to form the Cerebral Palsy Association of Western New
York on September 19, 1947; and

WHEREAS, Working together, the Cerebral Palsy Association and the
Junior League began reviewing the effects of cerebral palsy; after a
year and a half of study, the organizations had made significant
progress in educating the community about the congenital disorder and
its treatment methods, while also lobbying for state legislation; and

WHEREAS, The organizations also realized there was no place in the
community for young adults with cerebral palsy to gather; subsequently,
a one of a kind Young Adult Cerebral Palsy Center was founded and served
as a model to be copied by the entire world; and

WHEREAS, The agency grew to include not only the recreation program,
but also administrative offices, a preschool and a research library; in
1952, preschool services were expanded when children ages three to seven
became eligible for enrollment; and

WHEREAS, Through the years, the Cerebral Palsy Association's scope
expanded dramatically and people with any and all developmental
disabilities came to take advantage of the innovative and comprehensive
programs and services; and

WHEREAS, By 2003, less than 35 percent of those served had cerebral
palsy; the remaining individuals included those with mental retardation,
epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and other neurological conditions; in
light of this, the agency felt a new name that more fully represented
the spirit of the organization should be developed, and on March 14,
2003, the agency became known as Aspire of Western New York; and

WHEREAS, In September of 2014, Aspire of WNY proudly opened its
fully renovated and expanded Center for Learning campus; the school
featured state of the art technology, 100% accessibility, 21st century

environmental controls and new specialty spaces including a Cafetorium,
Life Skills classroom and walking track; and

WHEREAS, Today, one of Aspire's most renowned programs is their
Individual Residential Alternatives (IRAs), which provides living
opportunities for people with development disabilities with 24/7
assistance in over 43 group homes; and

WHEREAS, For the last 70 years, Aspire of WNY has been driven by the
core belief that children and adults with developmental disabilities
have the right to realize their full potential and live as independently
as possible; and

WHEREAS, This vital organization's total commitment to the
development of innovative, individualized programs, continual
integration of the developmentally disabled within the community and to
providing full-service solutions to the populations it serves, makes
Aspire the leading agency of its kind and a true asset to the Western
New York community; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those
organizations which unselfishly devote their energy, talent and
thoughtful care on behalf of improving the quality and dignity of life
in the community, are worthy and due full praise and recognition for
their noble and dedicated efforts; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Aspire of WNY upon the occasion of celebrating its 70th
Anniversary, recognizing the significance of its exemplary
accomplishments in providing personalized services and programs of
support for those with developmental disorders; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Aspire of WNY.