Sometimes you meet people who are such an inspiration that it takes your breath away.
That’s what it’s like when you meet Ken and Terri Mate.
The Batavia couple is like a lot of parents you know. They have two adult daughters, Amanda and Melinda, and they have demanding, busy careers. But they also are remarkable trailblazers in the Batavia area.
When Amanda was growing up, schools and local organizations didn’t have the programs and services for individuals with special needs like we have today.
“My daughter was a shock to the system when we moved here in 1997,” Ken Mate said.
They couldn’t sit by without giving their daughter opportunities that others sometimes take for granted.
Terri Mate wanted a free program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like their daughter, where they could socialize, form friendships and have fun in a welcoming environment. She approached Batavia Public Library staff with her idea, and in 2014, a first-of-its-kind program was launched: Inclusion Game Night.
The program took off, with an average attendance today of between 40-60 teens and young adults meeting at the library each month. They play a variety of games and win prizes in a welcoming and diverse environment. Parents, caregivers and siblings also find a support network and forge longtime friendships with one another.
The Batavia Public Library will recognize the Mates next month with the Library Leader award, honoring their service to individuals with disabilities and their contributions to the library district.
Ken Mate, a magician and caregiver for Amanda, now 33, and Terri Mate, a special education teacher with Mid Valley Special Education Cooperative who also performs magic shows for children and does face painting and balloon work on the side, are the 10th award recipients.
A celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, in the Founders Room at the library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. The public is invited.
There will be a brief ceremony, and light refreshments will be served. Inclusion Game Night, which is scheduled for that evening, will begin after the celebration.
The Mates, a down-to-earth couple who move mountains for their daughter and others, are modest about receiving this award.
“We appreciate people paying this honor to us, but we definitely couldn’t do it on our own. We couldn’t do it without the Library,” Ken Mate said.
Library Leader is an award bestowed biennially on individuals whose instrumental work benefits the Library District, its services and the Batavia community.
The Board of Library Trustees created the Library Leader award in 2003 to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the Batavia Public Library District as “Library Leaders.”
Kristen Zambo is promotional services manager for Batavia Public Library.