B

Luke 14 Ministries held its annual Luke 14 Party, a party celebrating people living with disabilities, at Manley Baptist Church over the weekend.

This year, guests attended a Dr. Seuss celebration with games, live performances and other activities.

The first day, on Friday, is for children with disabilities and the second, Saturday, is for adults with disabilities. However both days are a fun filled event.

Hayden Howard, Luke 14 Ministries Public Relations team member, described the preparations for the event.

“We got here early Friday and we were decorating and making sure everything was ready.” said Howard. “We were nervous we wouldn’t make it in, but Luke 14 is one of those things that always comes together with God’s Grace.”

Although the origination rushed against the clock to get the event ready, it was still met with great success.

“To say everything went well is an understatement!” She said. “We had a blast and the guests and their families had a blast. Everyone came in and had a really great time.”

Howard explained what guests experienced at the party.

“We welcomed each guest with cheers as they entered the building.” She said. “They were so happy and excited for people to cheer their names.

“After they entered the building they had a lot of things they could do.”

Howard detailed the long list of activities guests had a chance to enjoy.

“In the fellowship hall we had different booths that had a variety of activities for our guests to check out,” she said. There were games, fingernail painting, hairstyling, a gift shop and they had so much fun.”

However, the fun didn’t stop there, outside more fun was set up.

“Outside we had a petting zoo with different animals and creatures,” she said. “The kids got to pet horses, hedgehogs and even snakes.

“We had a magician and a karaoke station. We had a fire truck and several members of the community showed off their antique cars. We also had several other activities and games for them to play.

“After our guests went through all the booths and activities they went into the gym for dinner and a show.”

Guest had a chance to witness several live performance from groups within the community.

“One of the Manley’s Sunday School class performed the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” she said. “We got to see the Grinch steal presents and how the town’s kindness helped his heart grow.

“After that performance we had a live performance from the Morristown Cloggers and The Knoxville Irish Dance Steppers.”

Howard thanked the community and volunteers for the support Luke 14 Ministries received to make the event a success.

“We’re are so thankful to everyone who made Luke 14 successful. We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers, team and sponsors.”

Luke 14 Ministries was formed as a non-profit organization in August of 2017. It was formed to provide clarity of vision, accountability, and efficiency for several ministries God was developing to serve people affected by disability, both locally and globally.

It hosts a unique banquet in Morristown where the guests of honor are those in and around the community with disabilities.