New Yorkers with Developmental Disabilities Take Center Stage at Annual Championships
Program participants and staff receive an award for their banner.
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For Immediate Release: October 8, 2026
Media Contact: [email protected], 305-905-1536
Olympics-style parade, athletic competitions and family activities bring New Yorkers together to celebrate achievement, connection and inclusion
ASTORIA PARK – New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities took to the track and field at Astoria Park today for Services for the UnderServed’s (S:US) annual Developmental Disabilities Championships and Family Fun Day, bringing together participants, families and staff for a day of friendly competition and community.
The celebration began with an Olympics-style parade, and continued with track and field competitions, relay races, and arts and crafts. Participants supported by Services for the UnderServed competed, cheered one another on and celebrated their accomplishments alongside family members, friends and staff.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to be part of a community where they build meaningful relationships and pursue their dreams,” said Monica Santos, Chief Program Officer of Services for the UnderServed. “Our Developmental Disabilities Championships helps people we support in our residential and day programs cheer each other on, connect and have fun surrounded by their families, friends, and the staff who support them. It’s a joyful reminder of the kind of New York we want to help build, one where every person has the opportunity and support to live a full life.”
Services for the UnderServed supports approximately 700 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as those with neurologic and psychiatric disorders, through day habilitation programs, behavioral health services, and supportive housing. Its work is grounded in the belief that, with the right support systems, people with I/DD can guide their own lives, deepen relationships, participate in their communities, and experience life to their fullest potential. Participants supported by Services for the UnderServed competed, cheered one another on and celebrated their accomplishments alongside family members, friends and staff.
For more information about Services for the UnderServed’s Developmental Disabilities Services, visit SUS.org.
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About Services for the UnderServed (S:US):
S:US helps vulnerable New Yorkers build stable, healthy, and fulfilling lives, starting with a safe place to call home. Through homelessness prevention, affordable and supportive housing, and services that promote health, independence, and community, S:US creates pathways to lasting stability. Even as it serves tens of thousands annually, S:US meets each person with dedicated support shaped around their own path and goals. Their efforts are supported by various local, state, and federal government entities, foundations, corporations, and individual donors.
