The Brenham State Supported Living Center is home to 260 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Tuesday, center officials hosted a groundbreaking for the Hazel Lawson Sports Complex. Many of the facility's residents were in attendance to celebrate. In fact, it’s named after a former resident.
“My sister, Hazel Janet Lawson, was here for about 25 years,” Larry Lawson said. “When my dad asked me to be sure to take care of my sister. Here I was just a, probably 30 something, late 30 something year old and it humbled me quite a bit and it made me realize the important things in life.”
Now, 20 years after her passing, he is donating $500,000 to make this sports complex a reality.
“My sister, for example, was an avid wheelchair racer. She would go to the Special Olympics and race her wheelchair and she had probably 40 or 50 Olympic medals from wheelchair racing so I knew how important this was to these clients here”,” Lawson said.
“The number one thing that our folks want to do is they want to be included in the same activities that you and I do,” said Brad Benoit, director of Brenham’s State Support Living Center.
With their current facilities, that’s a challenge he and his staff often can’t overcome. The new development changes that.
“It’s an opportunity for us to provide inclusive sports and activities and events on our campus for people who perhaps didn’t experience those sports and events,” Benoit said.
Once construction begins on the complex, it should be completed within a year, but this is only phase one. With more donations, the people behind the center hope to bring more opportunities to their residents.