MARIETTA, Ga. — [August 20, 2026] — In celebration of its 70-year milestone, Special Needs Cobb, with the help of Emcee Ross Cavitt, put its supporters and the wider community ‘Up in Lights’ in the style of Old Hollywood Glamour at The Earl & Rachel Smith Strand Theater on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The year-long celebration is a joyful, visible expression of gratitude for the donors, advocates, volunteers and neighbors whose generosity has sustained the mission for generations. The event drew in 110 attendees and raised more than $56,000.

“Seventy years of success tells a powerful story — but the real story is in the lives behind it,” said Debbie Day, CEO of Special Needs Cobb. “It is in the parent who can finally sleep at night knowing their son or daughter will be safe. It is in the resident who finds not just care, but community. Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind — it is the love, security and hope we pass forward.”

For philanthropic partners seeking meaningful, enduring impact, Special Needs Cobb offers a rare opportunity to invest in both proven legacy and urgent need. Families often wait 10 years or more to receive a housing waiver from the State — years filled with worry, exhaustion and unanswered questions about the future. Supporting Special Needs Cobb means preserving homes, protecting vulnerable adults and strengthening a model of care that has served the community with consistency, heart and accountability for seven decades. It is an investment not only in a trusted institution, but in the belief that every person deserves safety, dignity, belonging and the chance to live a life surrounded by care.

About Cobb Community Foundation

Cobb Community Foundation brings people, ideas and resources together to address Cobb County’s needs and opportunities—helping businesses and individuals give with purpose and empowering nonprofits to do their best work. By connecting donors with causes they care about, managing charitable funds, fueling community solutions and equipping nonprofits with resources they need to serve, the foundation helps individuals, businesses and organizations activate good—together. Learn more at www.cobbfoundation.org.

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About Special Needs Cobb
Special Needs Cobb (formerly Right in the Community) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting opportunities for all people with developmental disabilities to live full, productive and self-determined lives of the highest quality, by fostering local communities which embrace all people. For more information, visit www.specialneedscobb.org or follow us on Facebook.