UC’s IDD Education Center’s Eighth Annual Red and Black Blast
Event honors Ted Karras, NFL Center for the Cincinnati Bengals
The University of Cincinnati’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Education Center will be hosting the eighth annual Red & Black Blast on February 27, 2025, at the Tangeman University Center, Great Hall on UC's campus, 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Guests are invited to enjoy dinner, cocktails, silent auction and hear inspiring stories. Attendees will have chances to bid on original artwork by IDD Education Center participants and opportunities to win prizes. The 8th Annual Red & Black Blast will celebrate the life-changing IDD Education Center programs; Collaboration for Employment and Education Synergy (CEES), Transition and Access Pathways (TAP), IMPACT Innovation (IMPACT) and our newest program, Regional Autism Advisory Council (RAAC). These programs are instrumental in helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) gain independence, uncover their passions, and thrive in a supportive and inclusive community.
At the event, the center will honor Ted Karras, NFL Center for the Cincinnati Bengals and founder of The Cincy Hat Foundation, with the Champion for Inclusion Award. Ted advocates for equal access to education, employment and housing for people with disabilities. In 2022, Ted launched The Cincy Hat brand as a fundraiser for the Village of Merici in Indianapolis, an independent living and services provider for adults with IDD. Building on this success, Ted created the Scholarship Series Hat in 2024 to fund scholarships for the IDD Education Center program, TAP, an inclusive college education for students with IDD.
For more event details and how to purchase tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/3C8NZUN or contact Sadie Everett at 312-961-1030, sadie.everett@uc.edu.
All proceeds will benefit the IDD Education Center programs; CEES, TAP, IMPACT and RAAC to provide inclusive education, employment and social opportunities to improve outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
For information on how you can become a sponsor, contact Sadie Everett, sadie.everett@uc.edu.
Featured image at top is a collage of the 2024 blast, with the words Red & Black Blast overlaid on the image.
The IDD Education Center
UC’s IDD Education Center’s mission is to create meaningful, life-changing experiences for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through innovative research, education and service. Nested in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and IT (CECH), the IDD Education Center provides programs for teens and adults to further their education, independence, and life skills. Program participants reach their potential and find their purpose in a community that accepts and supports them to be the best they can be. The IDD Education Center embraces the University’s strategic direction of Next Lives Here, breaking boundaries and providing inclusive opportunities for employment, social connections, and life-long learning.
We believe every individual possesses unique power, potential, and purpose.
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