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Man in wheelchair makes debut as 610 Stomper

"I'm living life to the fullest and I'm not taking anything for granted. So, I'm going to come out here and give it my all and do everything I can to have fun and put on a good show."

A new class of "Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Moves" made their appearance Saturday at Krewe of Boo.

15 rookies danced for the first time as 610 Stompers, including Jason Homer. He is the first member of the group in a wheelchair.

"I'm excited, nervous, but I'm really just ready to get out there and do it,” Homer said.

Homer beat out more than 100 other men for a spot on the team.

“When we saw his passion. Who are we to be like 'what he's doing is not dancing because he's not on his feet.' The biggest part of it is the joy and he exudes it. If you watch him dance and that's really the main part. It's paramount to say that he is dancing. He's one of us at heart,” Mont Creamer, 610 Stompers Executive Director, said.

“Anything with a melody really. I like dancing. I love dancing,” Homer said.

Homer said he didn’t really start to value dance until he landed in a wheelchair three years ago.

"I was at work and I slipped, and I fell 22 feet down onto the cement. I blew out my spine. Paraplegic from the waist down,” Homer said.

He said dance is now an outlet for him and it makes him feel good.

"I'm living life to the fullest and I'm not taking anything for granted. So, I'm going to come out here and give it my all and do everything I can to have fun and put on a good show. And try to bring the crowd up. Lift their spirits,” he said.

Now, he’s got a new group of brothers to do it with too.

The 610 Stompers have their next performance tomorrow on the Northshore with the Junior League of Greater Mandeville.

Meghan Kee can be reached at mkee@wwltv.com.

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