WALKER, Mich. — The deaf and hard of hearing community is holding a Silent Celebration as a way to reconnect after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to be apart for over a year.
This Saturday, July 24 at Johnson Park in Walker the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services are helping people in the community with everything from advocacy to getting a driver's license.
They usually hold the event every year but had to cancel last year because of COVID-19.
This year’s event will yard games, face painting for kids, a raffle benefiting the organization’s youth program, and a town hall to discuss the agency and its goals for the future.
Organizers tell us they are all looking forward to the chance to reconnect with friends they haven't seen since before the pandemic.
You don't have to be deaf or hard of hearing to join in the fun.
Sponsors are able to have a booth at the event, and D&HHS provides them with ASL interpreters so that they can interact with attendees of the event, a group that is growing by the decade.
According to D&HHS executive director Deb Atwood, 22% of households in West Michigan have a member that identifies as deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing.
