Building an inclusive world one smile at a time. That is the motto and the mission of the We Are One Foundation.

We Are One hosted an Aloha Dance Party on Saturday at Eurana Park, Weatherly. It was free and open to people with special needs, their families, friends, caregivers, and support groups from the NEPA region. They were anticipating 75 to 100 people to attend the dance.

The foundation was started by husband and wife team Tyree Harris and Suzanne Simkovich from Weatherly. Their son, Kobe Harris, is a young adult on the autism spectrum. As parents raising a son with special needs, they realized that there were not a lot of social opportunities for them.

“It’s hard to find events to go to,” Harris explained. “A lot of parents are tired of the stares and being shunned.”

Six years ago, Harris and his family started holding events for people with special needs, such as Halloween dances. In November 2024, they officially founded the We Are One Foundation.

“We want to make sure everyone has a good time,” Harris said. “That’s why we started this; we live it every day with Kobe being autistic. All our events are free of charge. We believe in creating a safe and judgment-free space where everyone can connect, grow, and thrive.”

“We welcome special needs groups, families, and friends,” Simkovich added. “We’re here to help them, here to support them. There’s not a lot of opportunities for individuals with special needs.

In addition to serving as Secretary and Treasurer, Simkovich handles the marketing for the group.

“We’re fairly new; but, we are reaching out to other organizations that help special needs individuals. We are trying to get the word out about us and what we do. We are working on a website and we do have a Facebook page.

We Are One will host the “We Are One 1st Annual Charity Kickball Tournament” to be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at the Von Collin Memorial Field in Philadelphia. The event is a fundraiser to raise money so the foundation can host free events for people with special needs.

The foundation plans to hold more events like dances, movie nights, picnics, and holiday parties. They also want to hold inclusive sporting events like kickball and creative craft sessions.

For more information about We Are One, call 570-599-7418, or email WeAreOne.tharris@gmail.com. Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566541431034.