Holiday Gingerbread Cookies Are Not Just for Eating

It just wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies. Many people enjoy a gingerbread cookie or two or a few (ahem) around this time of year.

But gingerbread cookies are not just for eating. Earlier this week, about a dozen Ridge Middle School students made a whole bunch of holiday gingerbread houses when they visited 20 residents at Deepwood's Adult Resident Center for the developmentally disabled.

Ridge students and Deepwood residents spent a couple of hours crafting their gingerbread houses from half-pint milk cartons, gingerbread, and lots of colorful cake icing, jelly beans, food sparkles and anything else that came to their creative minds.

Making holiday gingerbread houses is among several activities that Ridge Middle school students and Deepwood residents enjoy throughout the year.

"Our partnership with Ridge School started about three years ago with Ben Henrich, a science teacher," said Beth Falkner-Brown, director of public relations and volunteer services for the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood.

Henrich got his students involved in a rocket project for science class, and he invited Deepwood Center residents to join them for the big launch.

"We brought the residents from the Deepwood Center over and we shared our rocket project with them," said Henrich. "We had so much fun that first time together we wanted to do more activities. So here we are."

Throughout the school year, Deepwood residents attend student concerts and plays at Ridge. They also play basketball games. Somehow, the Ridge basketball team always loses to the Broadmoor Bobcats.

"I don't know why but somehow that always happens," said Falkner-Brown with a smile.