CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – As Owen Mathers reached the end of his time in public school, his parents began to wonder what the next chapter of life would hold for their son.

Owen, who will turn 23 next month, lives with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. His family moved to the Ivy area about 10 years ago, and Owen found an invaluable support system at Henley Middle School and then Western Albemarle High School, graduating in 2022.

“What happens after the school bus stops coming?” Arc of the Piedmont executive director John Santoski said to Cville Right Now. “What happens next? Because for the last 20 years, folks have been used to the school systems providing all these services.”

That’s where the Arc comes in.

Advances in medical care have helped people with serious intellectual and developmental disabilities live longer lives. The work of organizations like the Arc of the Piedmont, has helped make those lives fuller.

Saturday night, at the Kimpton Forum Hotel, the Arc held its 10th annual gala, raising funds and awareness for the work it’s done in the region since 1954. The Arc operates four group homes in the area, two day service centers and offers in-home care, as well. It provides some services Medicaid doesn’t cover. In 2024, it added an art studio to the basement of its Rose Hill Drive headquarters.

About 290 people attended Saturday’s event, raising close to $90,000 for the organization. Attendees could support the cause by donating during a paddle-raise auction, by bidding on artwork and donated items during a silent auction, purchasing art made by people helped by the Arc, and by purchasing raffle tickets and drink tokens.

Santoski and President Jo Manley spoke, as did the Mathers – Michael, Elizabeth and Owen. They explained how the Arc has helped support their family and helped Owen to live a life full of joy and experiences. The family shared a “day in the life” video that followed Owen as he took part in different activities with his family and the Arc community.

“The Arc has been a miracle,” Elizabeth Mather told Cville Right Now. “He has made new friends, learned new things and found new interests. The staff is incredibly caring and supportive. They see him as a human being with a unique personality and talents, and they are helping him grow into his adult self. We are so grateful.”

Owen lives at home with his parents and goes to the Arc during the day.

“As Owen got older, we worried about what his life would be like after high school,” Mike Mather told Cville Right Now. “We toured the Arc of the Piedmont. It was exactly what Owen needed. We got Owen on the waiting list, and two years ago a spot opened up. Owen comes home every day excited to tell us what he’s learned and what activities he did.”

Owen was on the waiting list for assistance from the Arc for about two years. Santoski said the Arc works, at any given time, with about 80 people, and increased funding could help the organization reach even more people.

That’s why events like Saturday’s gala, and the annual December Santa Fun Run and the Fall Golf Classic, are so crucial. People can also donate to the organization at its website.

“The Arc’s been around for 60 years,” Santoski said. “A lot of times it flies under the radar. We’re always conscious of, can we reach more people.”

That’s part of the reason the Mathers share Owen’s story.

“He is a very lively, friendly, talkative, creative and fun person – an extrovert – and he thrives when he participates in his community,” Elizabeth Mather said. “We did not want those social and cognitive opportunities to disappear.”