Sept. 11 survivor to speak at occupational therapy conference on Oct. 22 at SUNY Orange

MIDDLETOWN — Lauren Manning will tell her story of surviving the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when SUNY Orange hosts the New York State Occupational Therapy Association conference and Assistive Technology Expo the weekend of Oct. 22-23 on the college's Middletown campus. Manning defied long odds to survive the attacks on the World Trade Center. She was burned over more than 80 percent of her body. Her talk begins at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Physical Education Building. An honor guard ceremony featuring personnel from the New York Fire Department and New York Police Department, as well as Sept. 11 first responders, will precede her presentation. Following her appearance, she will sign copies of her book "Unmeasured Strength." The conference will bring together hundreds of occupational therapy personnel from across the state. The expo, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday in the gymnasium, will unite many local and regional vendors to showcase the latest products and services that allow Hudson Valley residents to enhance their ability to live independently. ELANT, Crystal Run Village, and SureHands Lift and Care Systems are co-hosting the event with the college. 9/11 quilts to be on display To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, SUNY Orange will also reconvene a display of community quilts crafted in the days and months following the terrorist attacks. These quilts were created as part of the 2001 project entitled "Weaving the Community Project: A Way to Remember, A Way to pay Tribute, A Way to Heal," which was spearheaded by SUNY Orange occupational therapy assistant students and funded by a grant from the United Way of Orange County. The students invited community members to contribute squares for the quilts. The project includes 1,600 squares sewn by volunteers into 34 quilts. The quilts were unveiled in the Orange County Government Center in Goshen on Sept. 11, 2002, and remained on display there for six months. Since then, the quilts have resided in town, village and city offices, as well as libraries and health facilities throughout the county. Many of these quilts will be borrowed from their official homes to serve as the backdrop for Manning's keynote address, and will be on display at all weekend at the Expo. SUNY Orange's occupational therapy students will perform "The Luckiest Penny Musical" at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. This 30-minute children's musical, written by Deborah Weed, reinforces the importance of unconditional love and teaches everyday values. The musical will be co-hosted by the SUNY Orange Center for Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology; Warwick Valley Central School District, Autism Mov-a-thon, Crystal Run Village, Jewish Family Service of Orange County and ELANT Health Care Services. Exhibits at the expo will be of interest to people with disabilities, as well as family members, rehabilitation professionals, and anyone who desires to live more independently, regardless of age. For more information, call Flo Hannes at 341-4390.