TCU’s National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association chapter (NSSLHA) held its 10th annual Chance to Dance event earlier this month, connecting students and individuals with disabilities on the dance floor.

Chance to Dance is an annual prom-like celebration for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

NSSLHA, the organization that coordinated the event, connected undergraduate speech pathology and audiology majors with faculty and local industry professionals.

Annika Boone, NSSLHA’s vice president, said the dance allows community members to come together and enjoy carefree fun.

Boone later said that the families often reach out after the event to ask them to host another Chance to Dance event in the fall.

Liza Gonzalez, a senior speech pathology major, said that the coordinators have just as much fun at the dance making friends and connections as the attendees, if not more.

“I feel like there are not enough words to describe what this event means,” Gonzalez said.

Boone said that NSSLHA partnered with several other organizations to entice people to come back to the event after the COVID-19 pandemic, including Best Buddies, Special Olympics and TCU’s education program.

NSSLHA members coordinated with TCU cheerleaders to make a surprise appearance during the event, which was met with a lot of excitement from attendees.

Sarah Cohen, a mother of two attendees, said her family loved the event and has been there every year since the beginning.

Cohen and her two sons, Adam and Steven, even went during an ice storm and had a blast despite being some of the only attendees.

“It has become a family tradition,” Cohen said. “We look forward to it every year. It is a great program.”

After the event, Boone said that she believed this year’s Chance to Dance was amazing and she was more than happy with the turnout.