SCRANTON, Pa. — “I want to propose a toast” said poet Shad Wrote It.
This is how a writer from Philadelphia starts his poem. His words will inspire the crowd at the Masquerade Ball this Saturday.
“Shout out to those women,” he recited.
The women are a part of the "Giving Back to the Community" Group.
They are dedicated to Scranton and have been putting on free events for the last year, just to give back to their neighbors.
“It turned from one event, last year in October, yes one event and then it turned into a whole year of events,” Elizabeth Rodriguez, Giving Back to the Community Group Co-Founder, said.
Doing something for families every month at Nay Aug Park while asking for nothing in return.
Their masquerade ball is a fundraiser to give the park something new.
“Nay Aug Park opened us with open arms and they've been one of our biggest supporters and they're doing an all-inclusive butterfly playground,” said Lisette Miranda, Giving Back to the Community Group Volunteer.
The group wants to create a safe space for children living with disabilities to play.
Events put on by the "Giving Back to the Community” group already go above and beyond for these kinds of families.
“We had two hours of sensory time for kids living with disabilities. The parents had tears in their eyes because there's not a lot of things out there for them,” Miranda added.
While their programs are for families with children of all abilities, they want to give opportunities for kids to play together in a playground that works for everyone.
“Everyone deserves to be together and come together. And it's sad to see two separate playgrounds where other kids may not feel accepted,” Sabrina Gusemen, Giving Back To The Community Group Co-Founder explained.
To help raise money for the all-inclusive playground they want to build at Nay Aug Park, you can purchase tickets here.
The Giving Back to the Community Group is hosting a masquerade ball on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the ANZ Hotel on Meadow Avenue in Scranton.
The group is celebrating one year of spreading joy and supporting the Scranton community while raising money for an inclusive playground to be added to Nay Aug Park.
The organization is a friend group full of women who want to create events for their neighbors in Scranton.
What started as planning a small trunk or treat for Halloween in 2022 has escalated into the women getting the 501c3 status to establish themselves as a nonprofit.
Since many of their events are in Nay Aug Park, they want to help build a playground that is accessible for children living with disabilities.
Their masquerade ball will feature musicians, comedians, and poets from the Scranton area, and they have plenty of masks to go around.
More details on the event are posted on Facebook.