SAFFORD — The annual Valentine’s Day Dance for those with special needs came back bigger and better than ever Tuesday.
“You can see it from the smiles on their faces. They are having a ball,” said organizer Donna McGaughey.
Put on each year by the GFWC Woman’s Club of Safford, the McGaughey brought in some extra help. Volunteers came from the Safford Rotary Club, United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties and the Graham County Chamber of Commerce, in addition to Woman’s Club members.
“All you have to do is say, ‘Hey, we’re having our dance back,’ and people start raising their hands, literally,” McGaughey said.
The event also moved to a new location this year, after owner Kym Gifford volunteered use of The Venue for free.
The club hosted special needs children from area schools in the morning, and special needs adults served by Blake Foundation and Great Communities Resource Center (GCRC) in the afternoon.
Each group was presented with a free gift, a special photo, light snacks and plenty of dancing for every attendee.
Staging the dance is an annual tradition for the Woman’s Club that started in 2007. However, the club put the dance on hiatus in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19.
