SALT LAKE CITY — It was a night for the stars.
“This is something that's very human,” said Gail Williamsen. “We all love this.”
The Utah Down Syndrome Foundation held its first-ever Blue and Gold Ball at Elizabeth Academy Friday night.
“It's just an inclusive dance,” said Williamsen. “So this is a wonderful opportunity for students who have disabilities to be able to enjoy a prom, but it's also an opportunity for students without disabilities to come and really enjoy these amazing people.”
Williamsen founded the school in 2009 to fill a need in the community, she said.
“When my seventh child was born, she had Down Syndrome, and I just thought, ‘Well, where's the school?,’” she said. “They need to get to know their own tribe of people. It's hard for people with disabilities to get to know other people in the community.”
Williamsen’s daughter graduated two years ago. Elizabeth Academy gives children of all abilities the greatest education, and social network, they can get, said Williamsen.
“I didn't want to just educate her,” she said. “It was never about just her. It was like ‘No, I want a whole tribe for her, and I want others to know each other.’”
