Many of you have had the honor of meeting Charlie, a dear friend of ADEC who attended ADEC’s Goshen Day Service and Group Home. When meeting Charlie, he may have seemed shy and quiet, but talking to him about cars, tractors, antiques, and old records would turn that all around! He is well known to the local community from “The Charlie Shirt.” In 2016, he drew a picture of a bicycle after the Ride-A-Bike event. This drawing was so unique and loved that ADEC decided to have it printed onto t-shirts. Since then, many people have been asking for us to bring back something like “The Charlie Shirt.” After the long-awaited anticipation, ADEC is excited to announce that we will be starting an annual t-shirt design contest in honor of Charlie.
Numerous designs were submitted to this year’s contest for ADEC’s Self-Advocates to choose from. After lots of deliberation… Chris was the lucky winner chosen to have his design printed on the 2023 ADEC t-shirts! Chris has been with ADEC since 1988 and is known for being kind, compassionate, and having a great sense of humor. He likes collecting baseball cards and hot wheels, going places to socialize, spending time with his family, and he loves being outside. When asking Chris how he feels about winning, he said, “I feel good about winning. I didn’t know if my design was good enough to get picked.” He was awarded a $300 check for this accomplishment, which he plans to save. Chris is very excited about this opportunity and feels it will be a great way to show people who he really is!
We are so excited for Chris and look forward to this annual contest. The 2023 t-shirt design will officially be revealed and available for purchase at Gaining Grounds second annual craft bazaar. Join us on September 16 from 9am-3pm! Click here to read more information about the upcoming craft bazaar. We hope to see you there!
Article by Cassidy Rehrer | Communications Specialist
