It is yet another wonderful time of year for Anselmians: this Saturday, Feb. 11 from 1-4 p.m. in the Carr Center, Saint Anselm College will be hosting the 25th annual Special Needs Valentine’s Day Dance.

The Valentine’s Day Dance started after three freshmen women went to a Special Olympics Bike Meet. The three were so moved by the event that they proposed that Saint Anselm host its own event. The three students decided on a purely social event as they wanted to be inclusive of those not interested in athletics. Thus, the Special Needs Valentine’s Day Dance was born. The purpose was to connect the campus with the special needs community in New Hampshire in the spirit of joy and friendship. Invites were sent out statewide. Many of the original groups continue to come each year.

“For many Meelia [Center] volunteers, staff, and our guests, it is the premier service event of the year,” says Dan Forbes, director of the Meelia Center for Community Engagement and professor of sociology.

Kids and adults with special needs come from as far away as Durham, Milford, Merrimack, and Nashua, as well as Manchester and Goffstown. Some are affiliated with agencies like the Moore Center and Easter Seals, but many are part of social groups which seek out monthly events for their members like the local Dream Catchers. According to Dan Forbes, “We have received calls as early as September from club presidents wanting to know the date of the next dance as their members want to put it into their calendars.”

Junior Katherine Carey reflects on her experience as an active member of the Meelia Center, “It is one of my favorite events for a variety of reasons. The Valentine’s Day Dance is a fun way for our students to directly connect with members of the Manchester Community. One of my favorite aspects of the event is that some of the guests that join us have been attending the dance since it first began 25 years ago. Watching these individuals reunite with others who have also been attending the dance for several years is so exciting and is a reminder of why this tradition is so special and important. The joy and love that everyone shows at the Valentine’s Day Dance really does make for a magical event.”

Dan Forbes adds, “I have always believed that it shows the community Saint Anselm at its best. The guests all rave about how accepted and valued they feel, and how it’s hard to see who is having more fun: the guests or the volunteers.”

“I love seeing the men’s groups on campus coming to the dance in shirts and ties and the women all dressed in red and pink. I love to see the creative activities students create with a Valentine Day theme,” Forbes says. “It is an opportunity for us to open our hearts and to make genuine connections with people who we may have little contact with otherwise. When you return for the second, third and fourth year, students reconnect with the friends they have made. The Meelia staff and volunteers do a great job decorating and making it a special event.”