Sunday, August 28, 2011

August DSA of South Ga meeting recap

Hello everyone!  I am hoping to recap whatever we do/discuss at our monthly meetings for those who are not able to attend the meetings.  If you haven't joined us yet for our meetings, we welcome you with open arms as we fellowship with other parents/caretakers/siblings of those whose lives are touched by someone with Down syndrome.  We meet every 2nd Sat of the month from 10 am- 12 noon.  If a meeting is canceled or a special activity is taking place instead of the meeting, we will give you advance notice as they occur. 

We are gearing up to take a team to Tallahassee, Florida on October 8th, 2011 for the Buddy Walk.  The Buddy Walk was established in 1996 by the NDSS.  This is done to celebrate Down syndrome awareness month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people living with Down syndrome.  We kept the name that we used last year--Title Town Tots and we added Down syndrome Association of South Georgia  to the name so that we could also get our group some exposure to those who do not know we are up and running.  The walk is from 9 am- 12 noon.  You can register your team members here.  Each person can register for a fee of 12.00--a shirt will be given to those who register ahead of time.  You can also refer your family and friends to the site if they would like to donate any funds in honor of your family member.  We would love to see you there! The Buddy Walk will take the place of the October meeting.  

We will also be announcing a special meeting that we hope to have in October.  Tammy Greenway of SOSkids of Valdosta is coordinating a joint meeting/group discussion concerning special needs trusts for our children. (SOSkids is a general support group for parents of a special needs child here in Valdosta.) We will have a lawyer speaking at this group and the kids will be able to play at a local play center here while the parents listen to the discussion.  Date to be announced as soon as all the details are worked out.

We are still looking for some adult volunteers to help watch the kids while we meet on Saturdays.  If you are willing to help out or know someone who would be able to help, please contact us.  We are fortunate to have some students helping us from the local high school too, so if you know of a teenager who is looking for volunteering opportunities, we welcome the chance to talk with them too.  

Next month we will present a technology presentation.  This will be full of great resources for those looking for the best apps for your child, websites to reference and groups to join.  Our next meeting will be September 10th, 2011.  Meeting place to be announced. 

We had a special guest join us at our August meeting, Stephanie Meredith, co-author of the book Diagnosis to Delivery--A pregnant mother's guide to Down syndrome.  You can find a link of her book here.  I actually read this book online months ago as I was looking for rescources we could share as a group for any new moms with a prenatal diagnosis.  It is an excellent book and we recommend this to any expectant parent.  Thank you Stephanie for sharing with our group.  We look forward to you coming to visit again. 

We have many things we are working on as a group.  Please continue to share any feedback you have with us.  We welcome all comments as we look forward to serving our Down syndrome community. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Buddy Walk in Tallahassee

Buddywalk / NDSS logo


Please join us as we walk in the Buddy Walk October 8, 2011.  We will be joining up with other teams to bring awareness to Down syndrome in Tallahassee, Florida.  The festivities start at 9 am and end at 12 noon.  The link here will take you to our page.  Amy Reaves has gotten our team registered.  We are using the same name we had from last year--Titletown Tots.  We are also proud to add the Down syndrome Association of South Georgia behind our name!  It is our hope that we will be able to get our own Buddy Walk started in this area next year.  In the meantime, we would love for all of you to come and join us in celebrating our beautiful T21 kids. 

When you register, you will sign up all the people who are walking with you individually.  You can register multiple at once.  You just add all the individual names to the team when you register.  Each person registered will receive a Buddy Walk shirt as part of their registration fee.  The information below explains the Buddy Walk. 

About The Buddy Walk

The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Today, the Buddy Walk program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups, schools and other organizations and individuals.
Over the past sixteen years, the Buddy Walk program has grown from 17 walks to nearly 300 expected in 2011 across the country and around the world. Last year alone, 285,000 people participated in a Buddy Walk! They raised more than $11.2 million to benefit local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome.
The Buddy Walk is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. It is a wonderful, heart-warming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join a Buddy Walk in your local community!

Event Information


Event Info:
Event Location:
<>Southwood Town Center Need directions? Click here for a map
Event Schedule:
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Walk will take place at the Southwood Town Center at 3196 Merchants Row Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32311-3327. 10/8/2011 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
CHECK-IN & ON-SITE REGISTRATION - There will be designated check-in areas for teams and individuals who pre-registered (deadline to pre-register and be guaranteed a T-shirt is September 23, 2011). On-site registration will be available for walkers that choose to register on the day of the event. The registration fee will be $15 and a limited number of T-shirts will be available. 10/8/2011 9:00 am - 11:00 am
CELEBRATION IN TOWN CENTER – Join us for a fun morning filled with games, a dunking booth, bounce houses, music and more! You will have a chance to meet our sponsors as well providers of valuable resources. Additional festivities will be posted as they are confirmed. 10/8/2011 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
THE BUDDY WALK - Following a brief presentation and group warm-up activity, the Buddy Walk will begin at 11:00 a.m. This fun walk around the lake is approximately one mile. 10/8/2011
Fees:
<>
Participant: $12.00
Register as an Individual participant if you plan to attend the Buddy Walk, either walking alone, with a family or on a team. **NOTE** Each individual registered by September 23, 2011 will be guaranteed a Buddy Walk t-shirt in their size. On-site registration will be $15. T-shirts will be available in limited quantities for onsite registration.
Self-Advocate: No Fees
Register as a Self-Advocate(person with Down syndrome) if you plan to attend the Buddy Walk, either walking alone, with a family or on a team. **NOTE** Each individual registered by September 23, 2011 will be guaranteed a Buddy Walk t-shirt in their size. T-shirts will be available in limited quantities for onsite registration.
Virtual Walker: No Fees
Want to be a part of the Buddy Walk but can't make it on October 8th? Sign up as a Virtual Walker and support the Buddy Walk, even if you can't spend the day with us. A Virtual Walker sets up a personal Fundraising page and collects donations for the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee 2011 Buddy Walk. Virtual Walkers will not appear on registration lists at the event.

If you can't join us, but would like to make a donation, the team page is here.  We would love to have you make a donation in honor of our loved ones.  Thank you for all your support.  We couldn't do it without you!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

National Center for Learning Disabilities Website

This is a link to a great website. http://www.ncld.org/  

 Their mission: 

The Power to

Hope, to Learn,

& to Succeed

To ensure success for all
individuals with learning disabilities
in school, at work and in life.


This is a link to their blog that they publish:

http://www.ncld.org/ld-insights

Some of the articles you can find at their website include:

Knowing you child's rights in school, such as this one--

http://www.ncld.org/at-school/your-childs-rights


Age related content that will directly appeal to your child---

http://www.ncld.org/age-related-content


What is going on in Washington that may affect their rights---

http://www.ncld.org/on-capitol-hill


There is a lot of very useful information at this site.  I hope you will find it helpful. 










Wednesday, August 10, 2011

August Meeting- Location Change

The next meeting for the Down Syndrome Association of South Georgia will be this Saturday, August 13th from 10am-12pm.
Our location for this month has changed to the Fellowship Hall at First Christian Church located at 1905 N. Patterson St. in Valdosta, GA.
The entrance to the fellowship hall faces the parking located off of Patterson Street.
We are looking forward to meeting new people and sharing ideas on how to help our organization to grow.
Light Refreshments will be served. Please feel free to bring refreshments too or just yourselves!
See you there!