Monday, January 12, 2009

Five disabled Kansans and their caregivers are headed to Washington for the presidential inauguration, thanks to a millionaire.

Stacey Leighton heard about businessman Earl Stafford, who paid $1 million to rent 300 rooms and the ballroom of a luxury hotel for the inauguration next week. Stafford was giving the rooms to people who are poor, disabled, homeless or who would otherwise not be able to attend.

Leighton has worked with developmentally disabled people for 20 years, including seven at Envision, a Wichita facility for the blind. She e-mailed information about the facility to the Stafford Foundation and was surprised when an invitation to the JW Marriott Hotel came back.

The Stafford Foundation said the group is the only one the foundation invited from Kansas.