In September 1952, Cathleen Jean Bolt—the child who pictured on the front of this invitation—was born to Renee and Burton Bolt. “Three years later, she was diagnosed as profoundly ‘mentally retarded,’ the clinical term used at the time,” Renee once shared. Feeling isolated and seeking connection, Renee placed an ad in the Middletown Press that read in part:

“A meeting to organize parents of retarded children in the Middletown area will be held Tuesday, September 27th at 7 o’clock at the home of Mrs. Burton Bolt.”

That evening, a group of parents came together, chose a name, and founded MARC—the Middletown Association for Retarded Children. In 1955, the group officially incorporated. At this year’s annual meeting, MARC celebrates 70 years of serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities—and unveils a new name. This milestone evening will include: