Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion, THE GREAT BLIZZ GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS, Plymouth, MA (2025)

09/09/2025

Be sure to catch tonight's episode on the importance of learning how to swim with our guests from AquaSafe.

Ever wonder how young is too young to teach your child to swim?

AquaSafe has your answer. Their year-round program is committed to providing you and your family with an environment that will instill a lifelong love of swimming.

Joining host Steve Nearman on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion are guests from AquaSafe Programs:

Colby Mecketsy - Operations Manager

Christina Clements - Manager, Sandwich location

AquaSafe’s program begins with baby group classes that will introduce your child to water safety skills as young as 6 months old. They aim to teach children to safely and consistently cross pools and other bodies of water as relaxed and efficiently as possible, by using proper techniques and critical thinking. Once their swimmers graduate lessons, these concepts are carried into their competitive training and adult workouts!

Tune in at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! This episode will also be live-streamed on watd. com

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

09/07/2025

The Second Summer Cycle is next Sunday, Sept. 14th! The Great Blizz is looking for donations and volunteers - get the details in their post below.

Be part of the ride—without pedaling a mile! 🚴‍♂️🚴🚴‍♀️

We need volunteers for the Second Summer Cycle on Sept. 14, 2025 to help with registration, and handle tasks along the route. Open shifts are available between 6:00 AM and Noon.

Perks? Live music, food trucks, cold Barnstable Brewing beer, and ALL the good vibes. 🍻🎶

📍 Sign up here: https://www.bikereg.com/second-summer-cycle-volunteering-2025

We’re also looking for donations to help our riders meet their fundraising goals. Donations to our team will go directly to The Great Blizz.

Event date: Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025

Start/Finish: Smuggler’s Beach, South Yarmouth, MA

To donate, click The Great Blizzards link on this page: https://www.secondsummercycle.com/

09/01/2025

Don't miss this episode tomorrow night on Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS) with the Latham Centers and our special guest, Blizz player James Jimbo Towle!

What are some of the complexities of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and how can they be addressed?

Find out on the next episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion tomorrow night at 6:15 PM on 95.9 WATD FM!

Joining host Steve Nearman will be 3 guests from the Latham Centers, Inc., located in Brewster, MA:

Matthew O'Sullivan - Senior Director of Children's Services

Patrice Carroll - Director of PWS Services

Taylor Burns - Director of Residential Services

🌟 We’ll also have a special guest, veteran Blizz player James Jimbo Towle, who will tell his inspiring story from Prader-Willi diagnosis as a youth to Great Blizz hockey player as an adult!

We’ll go behind-the-scenes and discuss the complexities of PWS and how the Latham Centers addresses these issues with a comprehensive approach. And we have to talk about the donkeys! 🫏

We’re thrilled that the Latham Centers has sent seven players to our Cape Cod location, which takes the ice for Opening Day this Saturday!

Located on Cape Cod, Latham Centers is a leader in special education and therapeutic services for children and adults with disabilities. They are internationally renowned for their success in working with individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome. Their mission is to create opportunities for independence, self-worth, and happiness for individuals with complex disabilities.

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

08/25/2025

We can't wait for this show tomorrow night featuring our friends at Plymouth County Family Support, Inc.!

How does Plymouth County Family Support, Inc. help children and adults with disabilities along with their families, as well as adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Find out on tomorrow night’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! This episode will also be live-streamed on watd. com

Jim Coughlin, Executive Director of Plymouth County Family Support will be our host. Joining him will be Jessica Gonsalves, Director of Family Support, and Anne Williams, Transition Coordinator.

They’ll discuss all the great work they do for our community, including sponsoring this show!

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

08/19/2025

Get the latest on our favorite team, The Great Blizz, on tonight's episode of Breaking the Ice! Details below...

What’s happening with The Great Blizzards as they get ready for the new season starting on September 6th?

Find out on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! This episode will also be live-streamed on watd. com

Joining hosts Steve Nearman and Holly Flanagan will be Great Blizz Team Photographer Bill Wedge. They’ll discuss some exciting events coming up, the launch of the new North Shore team based in Winthrop, and much more!

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

08/12/2025

It's all about Best Buddies tonight at 6:15PM! Get the details in the post below!

The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is coming up on Sat., Oct. 18th in Boston! One of 70+ walks across the globe, it’s the leading event in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Learn more on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! This episode will also be live-streamed on watd. com

Joining host Holly Flanagan will be our special guests:

Paris Flynn, Program Manager, Best Buddies Massachusetts & Rhode Island

Patrick Whalen, Ambassador

They’ll also discuss how the organization is expanding programs on the South Shore.

Best Buddies of Massachusetts & Rhode Island offers one-to-one friendship, integrated employment, leadership development, and family support programs for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Visit their website at bestbuddies. org.

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

08/05/2025

This will be a good one - find out what it's like to prep for the Falmouth Road Race! Tune in tonight at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM!

What’s it like to prepare for the Asics Falmouth Road Race?

Find out on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion at 6:15PM on 95.9 WATD FM! This episode will also be live-streamed on watd. com

Joining host Steve Nearman will be our special guests from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism Dougie's Team:

Ashley Osmecki, Marketing Manager at Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism
From Hudson, MA, Ashley is running her first Falmouth Road Race which will take place on Aug. 17th.

Jack Brait, Adaptive Runner
From Marshfield, MA, Jack has run many Falmouth’s and is also training for the Beantown Marathon in Hingham in September, where he hopes to qualify for Boston 2026

Plus we’ll have some of their other teammates.

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

07/30/2025

Exciting news from The Great Blizz!

Ice hockey for special needs players is finally coming to the North Shore! 🏒

The Great Blizzards of Massachusetts is adding Winthrop to its two established and successful locations of Kingston on the South Shore and South Dennis on Cape Cod.

Ice time will be Sundays at 3:10pm at Lawrence Larson Rink at Eruzione Center starting September 7 through end of April. The rink is located at 45 Pauline St. in Winthrop.

🌟 An Open House is scheduled for Sunday, August 3 from 3-5pm to meet the team's management and coaches and to register for the 2025-2026 season. 🌟

The team welcomes players ages four through adulthood, all genders, all backgrounds. Coaching staff is welcome too, including high school and middle school skaters, some looking for community service hours.

CAN'T SKATE? No problem. Most of our roster of 65 players never skated before they met us.

CAN'T AFFORD expensive protective gear? No problem, again! We loan equipment from helmet to skates and everything in between.

If your player is not sure hockey is for them, we allow a three-practice trial, so it’s a great opportunity to try it out!

This isn’t just about hockey, it’s about giving kids and adults a chance to build confidence, form friendships, and know they belong — on and off the ice.

👉 For more information, email [email protected] or call 703-587-4321.

07/29/2025

We're so excited to have "Love Abby" on tonight's show! 💖 Get the details below...

We have a very special guest on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion: Abby Mac, also known as “Love Abby”!

She’s the inspiration for the book, “I See You - Do You See Me?”

Joining host Steve Nearman on the show will be:

🌟 Abby Mac, aka, “Love Abby”

🌟 Heidi MacCurtain, Board Member, Plymouth Commission on Disabilities & Mom to Abby and Tomas

🌟 Todd Civin, Co-author & Disability Advocate

🌟 Shannon Frazer, Mom, Co-author & Special Ed Teacher & Administrator

We’ll discuss life with Abby and the motivation behind the book through which we "see the world through Abby's eyes, where courage meets joy."

Tune in tonight at 6:15 PM on 95.9 WATD FM. This episode will also be live-streamed on WATD. com

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

07/21/2025

We had an amazing show last week! Listen to the playback link in the post below.

Sensory friendly...

Oh boy, that's a loaded phrase but one that resonates hard with many parents, grandparents and other guardians of special needs people.

So when we have organizations that think so highly of us that they make concerted efforts to include Sensory Friendly programming, well, Breaking the Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion has to give them a BIG SHOUTOUT!!!!!!!!!

Last Tuesday night, host Steve Nearman had the pleasure of joining guests Marianne Walsh of Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Chatham and Elyssa Scheck of Weir River Farm in Highham in discussion about their Sensory Friendly programs.

If you missed the show, you would have learned what was the greatest regret of author Peter Benchley of Jaw's fame (and it wasn't that he needed a bigger boat) and you would have learned about the interesting Cold War artifact at Weir River Farm, plus all the beautiful and captivating farm animals there.

does not believe in FOMO, so here is your chance to check out this week's show...

https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Breaking%20the%20Ice%207-15-25.m4a?role=personal

Special thanks to Quinn Kelley, our 95.9 WATD FM producer.

07/21/2025

Learn how Sevita enables individuals be as independent as possible and to live and thrive in their communities on the next episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion! Details in the post below.

“Every person has the right to live well.”

That’s the motto of Sevita, the leading provider of home and community-based specialty health care. Learn how they enable individuals be as independent as possible and to live and thrive in their communities on the next episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion!

Joining host Steve Nearman are our guests:

🔹 Charlette Fenstermaker, Program Director

🔹 Julie Doherty, Behavior Analyst

Sevita serves adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, individuals with complex care needs, people recovering from brain injury, children in foster care, adults and children with autism, and other individuals who may require care across a lifetime.

The company has 45,000 employees serving over 55,000 individuals throughout Massachusetts and around the nation for more than 50 years.

Tune in tomorrow night at 6:15 PM on 95.9 WATD FM. This episode will also be live-streamed on WATD. com

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., South Shore Support Services, and
New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

07/15/2025

On tonight's episode, we'll be discussing sensory-friendly educational programing on white sharks and a variety of farm animals! Get the details below and tune-in!

Get the details on two awesome sensory-friendly activities on tonight’s episode of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion!

Joining host Steve Nearman are our guests:

Marianne Walsh, COO of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, based in Chatham.

Elyssa Scheck of the Weir River Farm, based in Hingham

They’ll discuss their sensory friendly educational programing on white sharks and a variety of farm animals.

Tune in tonight at 6:15 PM on 95.9 WATD FM . This episode will also be live-streamed on WATD. com

Breaking the Ice is sponsored by Plymouth County Family Support, Inc., Shore Shore Support Services, and New England Village, Inc.

The program airs every Tuesday at 6:15PM. Each week, our hosts will discuss topics that are important to our inclusive community and highlight the talents and achievements of our community members.

If you haven’t already, please follow our show page (tagged above) on Facebook which includes recordings of the episodes and more!

Breaking The Ice Lets Talk Inclusion

Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion

09/09/2025

09/07/2025

09/01/2025

08/25/2025

08/19/2025

08/12/2025

08/05/2025

07/30/2025

07/29/2025

07/21/2025

07/21/2025

07/15/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category