Between 150 to 200 mentally or physically challenged youths and adults are expected this evening for the Parks & Recreation Department’s annual Special Needs Back-To-School Hoorah Dance, which takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center.
The affair, which is free and also open to friends of those attending, includes food and soft drinks, and those participating are encouraged to be a part of the evening’s sports theme.
“We are asking everyone to wear their favorite sports team jersey,” Parks & Recreation Director Cheryl Bell said. “We want everyone to get into the school spirit and have fun.”
The program is part of the department’s goal of providing programs and activities that include all Biloxians, regardless of age or handicap.
“We offer year ’round activities for individuals with physical and mental disabilities,” Bell said. “I created this program about five years ago because I felt that these activities were needed and to promote physical activity and peer involvement.”
Program activities include holiday dances and sport events such as basketball, volleyball and the popular Challenger Baseball league.
For more information on these or any programs offered by the City of Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department, contact Cheryl Bell at 228-388-7170 or cbell@biloxi.ms.us
See the Back-to-School Dance flyer
Visit the Parks & Recreation webpage
Town Green movie, Shrimp Bowl and more this weekend
The Parks & Recreation Department Summer Movie Series continues on the Town Green today at 5:30 p.m. with a host of activities to usher in the showing of the Disney movie “Finding Dory” at dusk. The affair kicks off the weekend entertainment lineup.
In a reboot of the Shrimp Bowl football classic, Biloxi hosts St. Stanislaus this evening at 7 at Indian Stadium on the Biloxi High School campus.
Beauvoir wraps up its “Meet the Spirits of Beauvoir” series on Saturday. Over at the casinos resorts, Kenny Rogers and Terry Fator both perform at the Beau Rivage, John Kay & Steppenwolf will be at the Hard Rock, and Mickey Gilley is at the IP.
See the weekend lineup
See the August Community Calendar
Glavan: The rodeo finals could be our next Cruisin’
Among the marketing and tourism leaders at Biloxi City Hall Wednesday to hear about the potential of the Professional Cowboy Association rodeo finals in January was Kenny Glavan, the Biloxi councilmember who is also president of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association.
Glavan liked what he heard.
The idea is to promote Biloxi and the Gulf Coast to the collective audience of 127,000 who attend the 47 Southeastern rodeos leading up to the finals at the Coast Coliseum Jan. 11-14.
Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, who met with rodeo promoters last week, called the informational gathering, which included Tourism Commission President Bill Holmes, representatives of Coast casino resorts, the Coast Coliseum and the city’s two chambers of commerce.
Rodeo leaders, who have staged the finals at the Coast Coliseum for two decades, are now using the national finals in Las Vegas as an example of what could be. The 10-day event, co-promoted by a stable of Las Vegas resorts, attracted 177,000 people and generated an economic impact of $93 million.
The next step: Coliseum and rodeo promoters are preparing sponsorship packages and a collection of hotel packages to market the Mississippi Gulf Coast finals to rodeo audiences.
“The PCA could easily become the next Cruisin the Coast-like event that fits nicely in the month of January, when hotel occupancy is declining,” said Glavan, who’s worked in the Biloxi tourism industry his entire career and today represents the firm that owns Margaritaville and the White House.
“The track record and model is ready for the Coast to emulate and create yet another success story that would have a positive effect on our economy and grow the market.”
Added the councilman, with a smile: “Shrimp boots and cowboy boots share some things in common: working hard, standing tall and taking steps to make things happen. This could be the next exciting story in a growing list of positive achievements for Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
See background on the rodeo meeting
News and notes
Shuckers return Monday: The Biloxi Shuckers return to MGM Park Monday for a 10-game homestand against division rivals Mobile BayBears and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. To see more about the Biloxi Shuckers and to buy tickets, click here.
Council meeting: The Biloxi City Council will conduct another budget workshop Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., followed by a regularly scheduled council meeting at 1:30 p.m. To see the agenda and supporting documents, click here.
Natatorium closed on Saturday: The Biloxi Natatorium will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday for a Biloxi High School swimming event. The pool will resume normal hours on Monday. To learn more about the Biloxi Natatorium, click here.
East Biloxi African-American history: If you’re familiar with the African-American history of east Biloxi neighborhoods, you’re being asked to share your memories. Stop by the Biloxi Civic Center on Howard Avenue on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to take part in videotaped history sessions of the east Biloxi neighborhoods before 1965. It’s a project of the city, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and the Gulf Coast Design Studio. Details: braymond@biloxi.ms.us.
