Developmental Services, Inc. held their awards banquet Wednesday night. The 42nd edition was held at the Commons and White River Broadcasting’s own Sam Simmermaker served as Master of Ceremonies.

Six organizations and individuals were honored at the banquet. They were:

Volunteer and Service Award – Sandy and Doug Royer; The Seymour couple delivered Thanksgiving meals to residents of the Elm Street group home, purchased and delivered Christmas and birthday gifts for DSI clients, attended client events and donated to the Special Olympics.

Volunteer and Service Award – EMERGE Wrestling; – This Columbus-based professional wrestling group have raised nearly $3,000 for DSI and provided free tickets for DSI clients. In 2017, EMERGE wrestlers Ricky Ruckus and Donny Idol trained and worked with DSI client Justin Wells to help him fulfill a dream of competing in the squared circle. That culminated in a tag-team match at the organization’s annual “Downtown Throwdown” held on Fourth Street this past summer in front on nearly 1,000 fans, which saw Justin gain the win for his team.

Direct Support Professional Award – Brenda Wade; Wade has worked in a group home for several years, helping clients live more independently and aiding them in locating opportunities to help them help themselves. DSI specifically thanked Wade for her help in organizing transportation and working through clients’ mobility issues to ensure that they are able to attend community events.

Consumer Achievement Award – Joe Broomall; The Nashville resident serves as a volunteer at the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis. There, he works in the Paleo Prep Lab, thanks to the cooperative efforts of DSI’s community habilitation program, IMPG case management and the museum.

Professional of the Year – Brandon Shumaker; Shumaker is the fleet and facilities manager for DSI. His crew is responsible for fixing, building, cleaning, replacing and modifying items and facilities in 55 Indiana counties. Shumaker’s crew has important in the construction of Education and Enrichment classrooms, as well as a new fitness center for DSI clients in Columbus, a Personal Enhancement classroom in Seymour and maintaining security systems and vehicles.

Industry of the Year – GECOM; The company in Greensburg is celebrating 30 years and has the company has worked with DSI for 28 of those years to help provide opportunities for those with disabilities.

Employer of the Year – Amy Rodgers McDonald’s of Muncie); DSI says that Rodgers demonstrated extraordinary patience and compassion to make sure that DSI clients had the best opportunity to succeed, hiring four DSI clients. The organization adds that Rodgers has restructured tasks and work schedules to accommodate client needs, maximizing their productivity.

DSI William K. Hadar Scholarship Fund – Olivia Ortman; Last year, DSI announced that it was creating a scholarship through the Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County to honor DSI’s longest serving chief executive officer. Ortman, a Columbus East graduate, received the first $1,000 scholarship. She is studying occupational therapy at Indiana University.