Upcoming Events

2013 Walk for Our Kids

Hello Friends of DSIG! We would like to expand our sponsor base for our 2013 Walk-a-Thon, so if you work for a company, union, or use other vendors who might be interested in being a sponsor, please e-mail me their name and address, and I will send them a sponsor letter. Sponsors who donate $500 or more, will have their name and logo on the back of our event t-shirt. Those who donate less than $500 will be recognized on the walk brochure for the following year and on our sponsor board the day of the walk. The deadline for t-shirt sponsors is 2/28/13.

* Sponsorship Forms: 2013 Sponsorship Form

We are in need of raffle items, silent auction items, and items for gift baskets. Patty White will be the point of contact for these items, so please contact me at [email protected] or 610-544-2711.

* Raffle Flyer: 2013 Raffle Flyer

Walk brochures were mailed out in early February, so if you did not receive yours, please let us know. With $20 in pledges, you are guaranteed an event t-shirt. We encourage you to pre-register for the walk to eliminate long lines at the check in table. Ask your friends and family to join us that day and collect pledges.

If you are interested in helping out the day of the walk, please use the form below. It takes a lot of woman and man power to make this yearly event a success. Volunteer time slots are in 30 minute intervals, so there is still plenty of time to enjoy the walk with your family.

A broad overview of the criminal justice system and an open conversation about people with intellectual or developmental disabilities as victims, witnesses, or offenders and their interactions with the criminal justice system, police, judges, attorneys, parole /probation officers.  This special program is intended for both Self-Advocates and their Families

Attendees:

• do not have to have been involved in the criminal justice system
• may opt to join a committee to help develop materials for training

Training is FREE! Plus, coffee and pastries will be served.

This year’s Summer Picnic will be held at the Willows from 6:00 PM till 9:00 PM. DJ dancing and dinner will be provided. Please RSVP to Megan Califano at 484-472-8347 and via e-mail at [email protected]. Thanks!

Below is an email from our friends at the T21Club of Philadelphia. They are again sponsoring a Down Syndrome Awareness Day at the Philly Zoo. The email provides all the information needed to sign up for this great event:

The information is finally here about our regional Down Syndrome Awareness Day at the Philadelphia Zoo on September 15th, 2013! This event is not just for families who have a child with the diagnosis of Down syndrome; ALL are welcome to this great event!
If you have attended in the past, we hope to see you again. If you have not attended, lets make this your first year.  It is going to be a great day to, Celebrate Down Syndrome in the Delaware Valley!

If you did not know a ton of great things have happened at the Philadelphia Zoo this past year! Such as the new parking garage, and a much easier traffic layout as you enter and leave the Zoo. They now even have an APP for your IPhone. But most of all, KIDZOOU is now OPEN! For more details visit  http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/

Tickets will be a discounted $15 per person (children under 2(two) are free).
Furthermore, we are asking those who have a Philadelphia Zoo Membership for a $10 contribution per person, before August 25th.  This is to receive a t-shirt and the face-painting.

You will be able to visit the Zoo between the hours of 9:30AM till 5PM, you will also have family fun and vendors at the Peacock Pavilion between the hours of 11AM-3PM.  You are more then welcome to pack a lunch, bring it to the Pavilion then mingle with family, friends and our vendors.

We are asking for everyone to please pre-register before August 31th, so we can order you a FREE t-shirt, and get “team names” on the t-shirts. For a team name to be listed on the shirt you need ten(10) people who pre-register, no exceptions.  Face painting is only for those who purchase tickets in advance.  We are sad to say, if you do not purchase your tickets in advance, you will not get a t-shirt.(For an extra $5 fee per shirt; you can order 2XL OR 3XL for your adult sizes in advance, for those who pre-register.) We have attached the pre-registration form to this email.

Tickets are to be picked up at the Zoo’s Main Entrance, at our table the day of the event.  Tickets will still be available the day of the event (at the Main Entrance) for the discounted rate (with cash or a check) and you will then be welcome to participate in the fun day activities. For members that do not pre-register, we are asking for a $5 contribution, the day of the event. All funds are none refundable.

Attached to this e-mail you will find:
PRE-Registration Form/Contribution Form

By all means if anyone has any questions just contact me.

See you at the Zoo!
Fondly,
Jenn Bonawitz
& The T21 Club
215-990-8730
[email protected]
www.T21CluboftheDelawareValley.org

Here’s information for an upcoming Golf Outing to benefit the Delaware County Special Olympics:

TIME: 1:30 PM Shotgun Start (Lunch/Registration – 12:30 PM)
COST: $125.00 Golf, Lunch, Dinner or $40 Dinner Only @ 7:00 PM

Golf Tournament Invite

This month’s meeting will be an open forum.

Who is Flyered up?

Please save the date for Down Syndrome Awareness Day with Philadelphia Flyers! It is a 1pm game on November 9th, 2013. Tickets are very limited so it will be on a first come first serve basis. This outing is sponsored by the T21 Club of Delaware Valley. More information will be forth coming from Jennifer Bonawitz of the T21 Club. Stay tuned.

This years Down Syndrome Awareness Day with the Philadelphia Flyers will be November 9^th!
There are only a handful of tickets left. If interested, please email us ASAP. Thanks!

“Inclusion, Relationships for ALL!” hosted by Pennsylvania’s Education for All Coalition to be held November 15 – 16, 2013 at PaTTAN in King of Prussia. Featured keynote address by Dr. Cathy Taschner, so mark your calendars and watch for more updates! Registration will open soon. For more information visit www.paedforall.org.

Download the Brochure

Register online and Pay by PayPal

Register online and Pay by Check

Download the Registration Form

DSIG February RMM – Using the Treadmill to teach Children with Trisomy 21 how to Walk

Date: Thursday, 2/27/14

Time: Doors open at 7pm with presentation beginning at 7:30pm

Location: Hancock United Methodist Church, Springfield, PA

Child Care will be provided
Current research by Ulrich and colleagues has shown that treadmill training can help babies with Down syndrome learn to walk sooner and more efficiently. A subsequent study by Wu, Ulrich and colleagues demonstrated that treadmill training can also improve a child’s gait by manipulating the intensity of training. This workshop will discuss the recent treadmill training studies and how therapists and families can implement the research findings in their own homes.
The workshop presenter, Helen Milligan, MPT, is Aidan Milligan’s mother and a member of the Delco DSIG. She is a Physical Therapist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a therapist in Early Intervention. She has been utilizing treadmill training in her therapy practice and will share some practical advice that has been helpful in motivating children and families with this approach. Videos will be a part of the presentation.

Hope to see you on the 27th!

Even if you do not have a little person who can benefit from this information, we’d love to see you at the meeting to share your journey with those younger parents to show them that… it’s going to be OK!

The next DSIG Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 3/18/14 at 7pm @ the home of Yuhanna and Shirley Bishar.  Contact us for further details if you are interested in joining our DSIG Board.

We are always looking for new DSIG Board Members, so if you feel that you have the time to commit to this great organization, please contact us for more information.