News Release Header
For Immediate Release:
February 05, 2015
Media Contact:
Laura Phillips
[email protected]
305-755-7842

Kendall Indian Hammocks Park to Host 12th annual ''Family Festival of Arts and Games'' for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities


(MIAMI, February 5, 2015) - Kendall Indian Hammocks Park will host the 12th annual “Family Festival of Arts and Games” on Saturday, February 7, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival is presented by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and Villa Lyan, a Creative Children Therapy affiliate. At the event, children and young adults with disabilities who are enrolled in Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services Out-of-School programs and Villa Lyan programs will join their families for fun, interactive activities that involve adaptive art, music, sports, fitness, and nutrition. The park, located at 11395 SW 79 St. in Miami, will hold the event near Shelter #1.

WHO: Miami-Dade County Parks Disability Services and Villa Lyan

WHAT: Family Festival of Arts and Games for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities and their Families 
 
WHEN: Saturday, February 7, 2015, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

WHERE: Kendall Indian Hammocks Park, 11395 SW 79 Street (near Shelter #1)

ACTIVITIES:
• Adaptive sports and fitness presented by Miami-Dade County Parks Disability Services
• Miami-Dade Libraries Bookmobile and Mother Goose storytelling
• Fire Truck demonstrations by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department
• Pedestrian safety tips by the Miami-Dade Police Department and McDuff the police dog
• Theatre exercises led by the ROXY Theatre Group
• A nutritious meal prepared by Short Chef
• Free samples of healthy spices provided by BADIA Spices

MEDIA NOTE:  THIS EVENT IS NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.  There will be numerous photo and interview opportunities available to news media.
                                                           
About Villa Lyan:
Villa Lyan provides an alternative path to education for children with special needs and their families. The innovative program incorporates key components that offer the child with special needs the best opportunity for success in learning on a daily basis. Instructors work in individualized sensory-based classrooms and incorporate an interdisciplinary team approach. Programs include Augmentative Alternative Communication/Adaptive Technologies, Speech/Language, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Learning through the Arts (Music, Visual and Culinary), Performance Evaluation, Therapeutic Riding, Camps and Before/After School Programs.
Villa Lyan’s new “Expanding Possibilities” program helps young adults with special needs enhance their ability to live and work more independently by providing them with individualized training in daily living, including social and vocational skills.
Villa Lyan is located at 9280 SW Hammocks Blvd., Suite 102, Miami, FL  33196. For more information, call 305-752-0208.


About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for active older adults and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Miami Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.

Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.liveaparklife.org.