Break the Barriers, the celebrated group of special-needs performers who are all about inclusion and acceptance, will be opening their show to the public for the first time on Friday, March 6 at Golden Hills Community Church.

Presented by the Special Kids Foundation, the free performance is an opportunity for families and children with special needs – as well as the general public – to see the show, which has previously been performed only at local schools.

The event, said Lisa McBride, founder of Special Kids, is about sharing, celebrating and bringing the community together. “Break the Barriers shows the general public what our kids can do, but it also shows our special-needs kids that they don’t have barriers and limitations,” said McBride. “It shows them that they can accomplish anything with the proper support; that we have abilities, not disabilities.”

Break the Barriers was formed in 1987 by Deby Hergenrader, whose sister Kathy was born with Down Syndrome. Hergenrader, a former gymnast, worked to create a program which would combine a student’s natural athletic abilities with a sense of inclusion and recognition of everyone’s abilities and gifts.

Today, the Barrier Breakers team is a combination of performers age 6 and up. There are currently 58 performers in the troupe; all with their unique definition of talent and success.

The March 6 performance in Brentwood will begin at 6:30 p.m. at 2401 Shady Willow Lane. For more information, call 925-516-9690 or visit Special Kids the Web site.