NILES, Ohio (WKBN) — Shoppers at the Eastwood Mall were treated to a special performance Wednedsay, as more than 250 people put on their boogie shoes for a surprise flash mob.
People with developmental disabilities and staff from area provider organizations showed off their dance moves in a routine that took over the main concourse at the mall.
“This is so special, because it really puts disabled people out in the forefront, right. A large part of what we’re trying to do as a community is expose the able-bodied population to the disabled population,” said William Clark, community outreach advocate for the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Kristie Murphy, community engagement director at Gateways to a Better Living, came up the with idea and got other agencies and providers involved.
“Our individuals have practiced for the last month or so to kind of get all the moves down and get this right,” Murphy said. “We have so many talented folks. They’re so creative, so much fun, and it’s just great to showcase their abilities and how active they are as members of our community.”
“It was weird, because I’ve never been in a dance, anything like this before I had to do this,” said Gage Wildman, who was part of the flash mob. “I think it went good, even though I messed up a few times.”
The mid-day dance celebrated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and may become an annual tradition.
“I think everybody’s counting on it to be a continued event, so we’ll just have to see where we pop up next year,” Murphy said.
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