Northeast Arc Wine Tasting Draws Strong Support

People who live with physical or developmental disabilities matter and deserve to be supported so they can lead independent lives and contribute to society.

That was the message several members of Northeast Arc delivered during the non-profit group’s at the Kernwood Country Club in Salem on Friday evening. The organization is headquartered at 64 Holten St. in Danvers.

For $75, as many as 300 guests enjoyed as much fine wine, hors d'oeuvres and cheeses as they wanted along with each other’s company. Guests also had the chance to bid on several items, which ranged from a week at the Hilton Head resort in South Carolina, valued at nearly $3,000, to a watercolor painting entitled “Together” by Howard Kline, valued at $5,200, and tickets to Boston Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins games.

But the event’s goal to raise $50,000 was first and foremost on the minds of Northeast Arc’s top officials, given the difficult economy and drastic cuts in state aid to support programs that help 600 children and adults in dozens of communities throughout the northeastern area of Massachusetts.

Jerry McCarthy, Northeast Arc’s executive director, said Friday’s fundraiser and others that will follow are critical for the group to keep providing services.

“It’s very, very important to us. In these tough economic times fundraising has become more and more important to us,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy was very optimistic Northeast Arc, which also operates the Center for Developmental Excellence at 6 Southside Rd. in Danvers and Arc Works Community Arts Center at 22 Foster St. in downtown Peabody in the Heritage Industries building, would meet its goal.

“We have some terrific auction items and 300 people who registered to come so we’re expecting it to be a great night,” McCarthy said.

Peter Lister, who serves as Northeast Arc’s director of recreation and the co-founder of Arc Works, said all of the non-profit’s programs are about “community integration.”

“The funds that we raise at an event like this helps underwrite the recreation program,” he said. “We have some programs that have been around for 30 years.”

One of the people at Friday night’s event who understands what it’s like to live with a physical disability is state Sen. Fred Berry of Peabody.

Berry, a Democrat who has served 29 years in the Massachusetts Legislature and represents Danvers, Peabody, Salem, Beverly and Topsfield, was born with cerebral palsy. He just . With the help of his wife, Gayle, Berry has been able to continue serving his constituents and advocates for others who are physically and/or developmentally disabled.

Berry said he has heavily invested in finding ways to help people with disabilities because he believes they have value and should have their share of opportunities in life. When Berry addressed the evening’s participants, he encouraged them to contact their legislators and push them to provide more funding to help people with disabilities.

“All of you people should call the government office and say, ‘Why are you not acting like a Democrat?’” Berry urged.

Jeffrey Musman, a Boston attorney and president of the board of directors at Northeast Arc, spoke to the gathered guests about the real benefits of helping people with disabilities.

He said his law firm has four adults with disabilities who work there and it makes his day when they stop by his office and bid him a “good morning.”

“We do it so we can put people like Ian, Virginia and Patrick to work so they can improve their lives and we do it because they improve our lives,” Musman said.