Written by Susan Knox —
For as long as I can remember, my brother Steven has loved music. We listened to Raffi as kids, danced to the Tarzan soundtrack in his room, and attended many Blawenburg Band concerts. Steven played the drums for awhile in elementary school before he discovered his excitement of sharing music with others. This included playing songs for our family at holidays to singing White Christmas during Christmas time. He was the DJ for my Sweet 16 and college graduation party.
In addition to his passion for music, Steven has engaged in team sports for over 20 years. Before he was old enough to participate in Special Olympics, he played in the Challenger Baseball League. Even then, we had to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game—there is always a connection to music. Steven has been a Special Olympics athlete for almost 20 years. Over the years he has learned lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship. Through his network, he has been able to solidify several DJ gigs.
Steven has DJed for the special needs community for several years now, from monthly dances at Princeton, to dances at the Trenton Elks, to birthday parties, to Jingle All the Way. He’s gotten some additional gigs in the local community, including the 40th Anniversary Picnic at Hinkle, Fingles, Prior & Fischer P.C. Steven has several “signature” songs he incorporates into his gigs, including the Cha Cha Slide. He really knows how to get a crowd on the dance floor!
My family recently found out that Steven had written a letter back in January to Special Olympics NJ and expressed interest to DJ Opening Ceremonies. We have no idea how he was able to pull this off without any of us finding out. His letter was eloquent and logical as he advocated for himself. If you know my brother, you know he has strong feelings about making sure he is the DJ at events. “The reason why I wrote this letter is last year my dad said ‘Imagine all the athletes doing the Cha Cha Slide.’” His letter brought me to tears as I read it at my desk and several more times throughout the day. It must have been moving to those at Special Olympics, because my dad got a call several weeks ago inviting Steven to DJ Opening Ceremonies.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported Steven over the last 27 years. It is so rewarding to see that Special Olympics New Jersey has given Steven this opportunity to DJ for his own community.
I couldn’t reach out to everyone that has supported Steven over the years while I was putting this together, but please know that you are appreciated!
I love you and am so proud of all you have achieved! I can’t wait to see what else you do!
Susan’s Original Facebook PostAlong with his successful DJ performance on Friday night, Steven competed in three Track & Field events placing 3rd in the Softball Throw, 3rd in the 4x100m Relay, and 7th in the 50m Dash. Check out Steven’s signature below of him leading the crowd in the Cha Cha Slide (skip forward 8 stories to see Steven).
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