The Friends group at Merrill High School will present a concert in the park with musician Brad Emanuel on Wednesday, May 27. The public is invited to the concert, which starts at 6 p.m. at Normal Park in Merrill.
The Friends group is designed to encourage special education students to participate in social activities with their fellow high school students. Organized by MHS special education teacher Steve Weix, who had run a similar program at Mosinee High School for s
everal years, the Friends group in Merrill was sparked this year by a Beyond Computers and Crayons grant from the Merrill Area Community Foundation.
“Some of the students I work with don’t know what it’s like to go places and do things with friends,” Weix said. “We do a lot of diverse things, and not just in school. The group provides social experiences for Merrill High School kids.”
So far this year, the Friends group has gone to a varsity basketball game, had a pizza party, gone bowling and attended the MHS prom. The concert in the park will be the culminating activity for the year.
Emanuel has volunteered to provide the music, as he did for years for the Friends group in Mosinee.
The purpose of the event, Weix said, is simply to “enjoy music and having a good time, while celebrating the differences in all of us.”