Members of the Austin Bar Association have received recognition from school officials.

Thursday, October 12, 2000

Members of the Austin Bar Association have received recognition from school officials.

Not to be confused with another bar association – that one comprised of attorneys – this organization represents local tavern businesses, including five that are helping fund a disability awareness effort in Austin Public Schools.

Dennis Thorsen, Austin Public Schools special services director, and the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council’s Jill Vollmer recognized association members at an Austin Board of Education meeting this week.

A handful of the organization’s members donated $10,000 to the Austin Independent School District for CLIMB Theatre presentations at Austin High School and Ellis Middle School.

The school board, as it does for students, teachers, friends of education and others, saluted the Austin Bar Association for its gesture at Monday night’s meeting at the Austin Municipal Building.

Two years ago, SEPAC began its efforts to have the CLIMB Theatre group come to Austin to help teach children about people with disabilities.

The first phase of the project was to bring the Mower County Association for the Handicapped into elementary schools with a puppet show to discuss being disabled through the puppets’ voices.

Next, the SEPAC volunteers and Thorsen sought out CLIMB Theatre. According to SEPAC’s Vollmer, "CLIMB fit our needs and more."

However, when the volunteers sought funding to bring the group to Austin, it was slow going.

The Austin Moose Lodge donated $50, the Austin Police Officers Association and Austin Public Education Foundation each gave $500 and a private citizen gave $30.

"This money allowed us to go ahead with the middle school phase in the seventh and eighth grades," Vollmer said.

When Marv Peters, owner of the Brown Derby bar, learned of SEPAC’s efforts to raise funds, he decided to help. Soon enough, Peters encouraged members of the Austin Bar Association to contribute and five joined the effort.

"Because of the local bars, the CLIMB Theatre will return to our community at the end of November and the beginning of December," Vollmer said. "They will be doing plays for the high school students, including acceptance of differences and a play called ‘Looking Back,’ where they look back at their high school days and see how things that were said to them changed their whole life."

"With all of the school violence and kids treating each other with disrespect, we fell our community needs this program," Vollmer said. "Thanks, in large part, to the Austin bars, it’s going to happen."

The CLIMB Theatre actors also will perform at the Paramount Theatre on Nov. 27 for the public.

Efforts are also under way to bring the actors into local Catholic and Lutheran schools.

"Our community needs to support the idea of acceptance of difference son all levels starting with the students and branching off into our community," Vollmer said.

Participating bars included the Brown Derby, Margaritaville, Thirsty’s, Mapleview Lounge and Windrift Lounge, as well as the Austin Auto Truck Plaza in conjunction with the Austin Elks Lodge No. 414. Also participating was Charley’s Lounge in conjunction with the Maple Island Association as well as the original contributors.

Vollmer pointed out the Austin Bar Association did not, by itself, support the effort, but five of its members did. She did say it was one of the "many community service projects supported by the organization throughout the year."

To date, SEPAC has raised $11,580 of the anticipated $12,309 costs to offer the CLIMB Theatre’s performances before all students in grades 6-12.