BELLEAIR BLUFFS — The Banyan Odyssey held its fourth annual Banyan Spring Dance on April 11, an evening that advanced the Clearwater-based nonprofit’s mission to build a community for “handicapable” young people in the Tampa Bay area.
About 70 neurodiverse teens and young adults attended the gala, hosted for the second straight year by Commissioner Suzy Sofer and her partner, Jeff Crupper, both longtime supporters of the organization.
Parents Bill and Jane Williams co-founded the nonprofit a decade ago to provide educational and social opportunities for special needs students transitioning from high school to adulthood. It has since grown to include 100 families across Tampa Bay and hosts several events each year.
“The ultimate mission of the organization is to operate a social enterprise in Pinellas County that will subsidize long-term housing for handicapable adults, who will in turn work at that social enterprise,” Sofer said by email after the event, adding that the dance is a hit with attendees, organizers and sponsors alike.
“The annual Banyan Spring Dance is one of the avenues used to make and maintain relationships among this diverse population in our area.”
For more information, visit ourbanyan.com.