POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam hosted the 40th annual Very Special Arts Festival this spring. The 2011 event represented a significant day in the life of area special needs children and adults, who come together to showcase their creativity and abilities in the arts.

This year's festival benefited from the generosity of both a longtime sponsor and a new one. Community Bank has supported the Festival for 18 years with an annual gift of $2,500; it was joined this year by a new supporter, the Potsdam Elks Club #2074, which donated $500.

The festival is a daylong event for disabled children and adults from St. Lawrence, Franklin, Jefferson and Lewis counties. The program is made possible only through donations from caring individuals and businesses in the North Country, and of course the volunteer efforts of coordinators, college students and community members.

SUNY Potsdam hosts the event in Maxcy Hall as well as provides equipment needed for the event.

The festival has been an annual event since 1971. Each year hundreds of developmentally disabled public school children and adults from area day treatment facilities and ARCs, along with their teachers and supervisors, come together for the day to celebrate their talents in the arts. Sponsors' donations allow participants to enjoy the day free of charge.