Hundreds gather for Medina Creative Housing annual gala

MEDINA — More than 300 people attended the 17th annual Raising the Roof Gala, an annual fundraising banquet for Medina Creative Housing, on Saturday evening. The event was at MCH's new Creative Living Wellness Center, the former Weymouth Community Center on Remsen Road, just east of Weymouth Road. The night's theme was Ohana, which in Hawaiian means "family." "We are fully blessed that the community has come out to support us," Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty, executive director of Medina Creative Housing, which provides housing, services and support for those with disabilities so they can live as independently as possible. One of those supporters Saturday was Ron Knight, whose nephew Anthony was born with a disability. Knight — who helped start the Miracle League of Northeast Ohio, a baseball league for those with special needs — said he became aware of MCH as Anthony grew up and needed a home of his own. "With Medina Creative Housing, he's guaranteed a place to live, and that's important as his family gets older," Knight, a Medina resident, said. "You want to make sure they can live and be happy. And that's what they've done here." The wellness center opened April 3 after a gutting and renovation of the dilapidated former community center. The historic building also housed Weymouth School from 1925 to 1926 and the Achievement Center, a school for children with disabilities, from 1960 to 1992. "The building's ceiling was caving in," DePasquale-Haggerty said. "The only thing that's not new in here are the cement walls." Each room in the wellness center offers a different service or activity for MCH clients. For example, a music room contains a piano, keyboard, drums and guitars. There are also rooms for art, information technology, gaming and learning life skills. The building also holds two gyms, which is where the banquet took place Saturday. The gala included Hawaiian dancing by Pacific Paradise Entertaining in Cleveland, Creative Comedy Crew, an MCH comedy troupe, along with raffles and silent and live auctions. Jenna Bruckman of Medina said she has attended the Raising the Roof Gala for the past four or five years. She met DePasquale-Haggerty at Heartland Community Church on Weymouth. "I've always had a passion for helping people," Bruckman said. "This organization has grown so much. They do so much to help people." Mike Teffer of Parma was at the gala with his wife Donna as guests of RPM International Inc., one of the event's sponsors. "They help people live on their own and live as normal a life as possible," Teffer said of MCH. "That's a great cause." Ann Reusch, a member of the MCH Board of Trustees, attended the gala with her husband Gene. They live in Granger Township. "Medina Creative Housing gives a voice to people who don't have one," Reusch said. "That resonates with me." Contact Bob Sandrick at area-news@medina-gazette.com.