Appalachian Banner Academy creates calming room for fireworks event

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Every year, Johnson City hosts the Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration. This year, the event will provide a new calming room for those who need it.

“We have a new sensory area for autistic and PTSD folks,” said Freedom Hall General Manager Mark Stone. “It’s a tough holiday for them, and we wanted to accommodate that.”

In order to put this room together, Pepsi reached out to Mikael Gouge, Director of Appalachian Banner Academy in Johnson City. The academy is a private school that serves children with autism and other developmental disorders. Gouge said she was excited for the opportunity.

“I loved the idea for my students,” said Gouge. “And for kids everywhere who might have been excluded from an event like this in the past to have a space to come in and calm down if they need it.”

Gouge’s son, Tyson, also has autism. As a parent, this new room will allow her son to experience the fireworks.

“I’ve never taken him to the fireworks on the 4th of July,” Gouge said. “This year, he’s going to come because I know if he gets overwhelmed, he can come into a calm-down space.”

Gouge isn’t the only parent benefitting from the space. Lindsey Thompson’s son, Cameron, is a student at the academy. Thompson said that while Cameron loves the fireworks, he doesn’t always respond well to the noise.

“He’s seen them very small-scale,” Thompson said. “He loves fireworks, but he would have never been able to handle something like this. So having this, that he’ll be able to go in. And if we need to calm down and we just need a minute, even from the heat, it’ll make a huge difference.”

For Thompson, the inclusivity created by the space is immeasurable.

“For our kids to be included in things like this,” said Thompson. “It means the world.”

Gouge said she’s grateful to Pepsi for allowing her the opportunity to create the calming room at Freedom Hall, which will be available during the entire event.

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