The Charlotte Observer • charlotteobserver.com
■ ■ ■ Sunday, April 15, 2012
CAROLINA LIVING
PLAYING
+
3E
How to get involved
[ from 1E ]
Playing for Others will host:
children with special needs in a
buddy program, get leadership
training from peers and professionals and take part in an arts experience, all over the course of
nine months. This year, PFO is
working with the group Helping
Outcomes for Parents of Exceptional Children.
• A free open house 5:30-8:30
p.m. April 21 at Whitehead Manor,
5901 Sardis Road. Teens in grades
8-12 are eligible for the program,
which runs from late August
through May.
• April 28: Music Experience (concert and songwriting competition)
at Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E.
36th St.
Changing perspectives
Emma, who has Down syndrome, and Kaitlin have distinct
similarities – both enjoy performing and have been a part of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
“(Emma) always wants to turn
things into a play,” said Mike Corrigan, Emma’s father. “Kaitlin just
became a natural link.”
At buddy events, teens and buddies play in arts-themed settings,
and some pairs do other activities
together, too.
PFO teens also learn to run the
nonprofit itself, through committee work and event planning, and
the year culminates in an arts festival. That features a red-carpet
event for buddies and families, a
songwriting competition, a dance
performance and multiple performances of a musical the teens rehearse. This year’s show is “Elves
& the Shoemaker” and runs May
5-13.
The dance experience is new: 10
pieces of original choreography,
commissioned by people supporting PFO. One featured piece
is about the concept of philanthropy, and was commissioned by
Foundation for the Carolinas. The
video introduction will show
teens interviewing Hugh McColl,
Michael Marsicano, Anna Spangler Nelson, Linda LochmanBrooks and Tom Lawrence.
“The group of 70 teens are really being charged with something
that’s bigger than themselves,”
said founder Jen Band.
Friendship is a two-way street
Kaitlin, a senior at East Mecklenburg High, and Daniel Morrice, 18, a
senior at Myers Park High, are copresidents of PFO this year. They
have participated in the organization since it began in 2006.
“I would say the biggest changes
in (Daniel and Kaitlin), specifically,
is the self-awareness,” Band said.
“Not just ‘Who am I?’, but ‘How do I
+
• May 4: Dance Experience (10
commissioned pieces of choreography, with live music and videography) at Booth Playhouse, 130 N.
Tryon St.
• May 5-13: “Elves & the Shoemaker” (musical theater for kids) at
Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E.
Stonewall St.
PHOTOS BY JEFF WILLHELM - [email protected]
Kaitlin Wightman-Ausman, center, directs Tristan Kallander, right, and Daniel Morrice. Being in Playing
for Others “made me realize how important (it) is … where you place your time,” Daniel said.
Kaitlin Pettler
photographs her
carefully posed buddies
Anna Claire Joyne, left,
Lucy Banner and Allison
Whitmeyer during a
Playing for Others
photography event.
YOUNG ACHIEVERS
• Read Young Achievers
stories in Carolina Living
on Tuesdays and at
charlotteobserver.com
/youngachievers.
MORE PHOTOS
Go to Charlotte
observer.com/living
in turn empower other people, and
why is that important?’ ”
Daniel said his friendship with
buddy Tristan Kallander has
changed how he spends his time.
The friends are opposites. Tristan, 19, is a fan of all things
NASCAR, loves playing adaptive
flag football and is a part of the Special Olympics. Daniel is geared toward arts and performing.
“But Daniel and Tristan know
each other’s likes and dislikes,”
said Tristan’s mother, Lisa Kallander. “They just have such a neat
level of acceptance.”
As an infant, Tristan was diagnosed with lissencephaly, a brain
disorder. As a result, Tristan suffers from severe seizures, often
once a week. His speech is also
limited to three- to four-word
phrases. “But Daniel is so good
with that and really engages Tristan,” Kallander said.
The pair often meet on weekends, outside of PFO events, to
play board games or grab lunch.
They even trick-or-treat together.
“They have an actual friendship
that I think benefits Tristan more
than Daniel, because people with
special needs don’t normally have
friends on a regular basis,” Kallander said. “Daniel completely
accepts Tristan and Tristan completely accepts Daniel. They learn
from each other.”
Daniel recalls PFO’s Band reading a letter at a meeting from Lisa
Kallander. In the letter, she talked
about Tristan keeping a picture
on his nightstand of himself and
Daniel at a photography-themed
buddy event.
“It made me realize how important your time is, especially where
you place your time,” Daniel said.
“Where you place your time can
have such an effect on people that
you might not ever realize.
“It puts it into perspective when
it’s a Friday night and you want to
go hang out with friends, but you
don’t have the car or you weren’t
invited to something.”
Emma’s father said PFO allows
children with disabilities to be integrated into the arts community, too.
“It’s so exciting for me to see
that love radiate from Emma,”
Kaitlin said. “For me, the value of
bringing that happiness and that
love to the plate is really what I’ve
learned from my buddies over the
years.”
Kaitlin said because of her time
in PFO, she is considering a career
working with children with special needs.
Daniel and Kaitlin said they
Details: www.playingforothers.org.
Application deadline for 2012-13 is
May 15.
have learned a variety of life skills,
but the concepts they value are
acceptance and friendship.
“One of the things we really talk
about in Playing for Others is
‘people first’ language and putting
the person first … not having the
disability define the person,”
Kaitlin said.
‘People first’
Daniel defines “people first” using a football analogy. “Instead of
a disabled child, it’s a child with a
disability,” he said. “If I was a person that played football, it’s not
the football player Daniel. It’s
Daniel, and one of the things he
does is football.”
As Band put it, for the teens, “it’s
about understanding other people and where they are on their
journey – but at the same time understanding their own journey.”
Penland: 704-358-6043;
Twitter @penlandbs
STORY BEHIND
THE STORY
I had a rare glimpse
into PFO – I began
shadowing the kids
in September. It was
Penland
encouraging to see
teens help each other discover
themselves, while experiencing
creativity and the arts.
— BRITTANY PENLAND