Springfield JCC’s CHEERS Block Party Celebrates Special-needs Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC) will host the CHEERS Block Party on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. at its campus, located at 1160 Dickinson St. on the Springfield/Longmeadow line.

The family-focused event celebrates the Kehillah Special Needs Program and includes music, games for all ages and abilities, and food trucks, with all proceeds supporting JCC special-needs programming, which include camp, social groups, adaptive aquatics, sensory motor-skill sessions, and more.

Held every other year, the event draws several hundred people and is held outdoors, under a tent on the JCC grounds. The ticket price includes food from Batch Ice Cream, Disco Forno Pizza, Holyoke Hummus Co., and the Kitchen. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase, provided by Athletic Brewing, Boston Beer, and Provisions. Additional sponsor support has been provided by A.W. Brown, GreatHorse, and Village Food Mart.

“We have many amazing programs at the J for people of all ability levels, but we can always do more,” said Dorothy Linder, Kehillah director at the Springfield JCC. “The CHEERS Block Party isn’t just a fun event — it’s a great opportunity to build awareness by sharing what we’re doing with the community and to raise essential funds for even more supportive programming.”

Tickets may be purchased in person at the JCC or online at springfieldjcc.org.