Last week, the city of Alabaster&8217;s parks and recreation department held a party at the Senior Center to welcome its newest employee, Alicia Lee.

Lee will work with senior citizens and help develop programs for the disabled of all ages.

This is an important hire for growing Alabaster.

It&8217;s important that our cities provide recreational activities and fun for all citizens, regardless of age or perceived handicaps.

Sometimes we think about parks and recreation departments being all about youth baseball, football or soccer.

And while they are a big part of successful programs, it&8217;s good to know that people are starting to think about those who can&8217;t maybe hit a homerun or score a goal at will.

There are still many sports and games that seniors and the disabled can (and want to) participate in.

Lee was named Employee of the Year in Hoover, where she worked for 10 years developing some of the best therapeutic programs in the Southeast.

It&8217;s exciting to think about what new opportunities and services she will bring for Alabaster residents in the years to come.

Hopefully, other cities will follow Alabaster&8217;s lead and staff their parks and recreation departments with personnel dedicated to providing services for those who are sometimes unfortunately left out.