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Mama was the motivation for me to leave the house tonight.
She had always been so very grateful that all of her grandchildren had been born with sound minds, with just the right number of fingers and toes, with society-approved beauty.
For that reason, she supported charities that advocated for children not born in such fortunate circumstances. She was especially supportive of the Chatham Association for Retarded Citizens, as I've mentioned before.
I had thought that agency was no more.
I was incorrect.
The name simply changed to one which was more fitting in these label-conscious times. It's now called the Coastal Center for Developmental Services. It's even in the same building it ever was.
I'll have to be sure to make a donation in Mama's name for my birthday.

Anywho...
They were one of the three agencies that helped organize tonight's event. The Savannah AMBUCS and the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society were the other two.
United, they brought us the inspirational movie, "Where Hope Grows", about the friendship between a Down Syndrome grocery clerk and an alcoholic former Tiger. (That's the baseball Tiger, not the wild beast.)

That alone was not the reason I came to the Savannah Arts Academy for the screening. I came for the Q&A afterward with David DeSanctis, the young man who plays "Produce", the grocery clerk. The grocery clerk character happens to be differently-abled and has Down Syndrome.
Just like David does.
I found out David is the first person with Down Syndrome to star in an English-speaking film.
I found out that David is 23 years old and will be 24 in July.
I found out David just graduated from University of Louisville... and with a 4.0 GPA.
I found out that, as an 11-year-old, David had once wanted to be a voice talent for animated films.
I found out that, as a 15-year-old, David had decided to become an actor, not a mere voice.
I found out David has a brother and two sisters and is from Kentucky.
I found out David loves to dance, and is quite proud of his Elvis Pelvic Thrust and his Elvis Swivel Hips moves.
He proved that, right there on the stage!
(smile)
His is quite a young man.
He bested thirty others vying for the role of "Produce" by proving his personality would be a driving force for promoting the movie. He was spent the last year continuing to prove that.
Now, he is vying against 4000 others for an unnamed film camp.
I meant to ask him if it was the camp run by Zeno Mountain Farm, the group I learned of at the Savannah Film Festival last fall.
I hope he gets accepted.
I hope he does get to play Danny Zuko in their production of "Grease".
I'd gladly pay to see that!