July 2019
Campers at Summer Program's Greenbriar site enjoyed a day with the paparazzi!
Keep up with our summer adventures here and here !
Summer Announcements & Reminders
Mark Your Calendars: Fall 2019 Registration Opens Monday, July 15 at 9:00 am

Complete registration information can be found here:   How to Register

The Fall 2019 Program Guide will be published online Monday, July 8 and available at NSSRA's office and at partner agency locations beginning Tuesday, July 9.

This month  D&R Autoworks is donating a portion of proceeds from every oil change service or tire purchase to NSSRA Foundation! Details here.  

D&R is also a drop off center for our 2020 Dress Drive! Click here for details.

Thank you to D&R Autoworks for supporting NSSRA participants!
Wednesday, August 14 • 6:00 pm

Summer Bash is an end-of-summer party for participants, families and friends of NSSRA.

Held at the Park Center in Glenview (new location!), the evening is  FREE  for everyone and will include dinner, live music and the chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact Foundation Manager Laurie DeSimone at (847) 509-9400 x6821 or ldesimone@nssra.org .

Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Tent Sponsor
Dinner Sponsor
News & Announcements


It was a golden experience for nine members of NSSRA’s Gator Athletics teams at Illinois Special Olympics’ annual State Summer Games (SSG). Competing in swimming, powerlifting and track and field, the team walked away with a collective 14 medals, eight of them gold. Way to go, Gators! Read more here.

Thank you to everyone who joined us out at the Wilmette Wine Walk on June 1! We had a ton of fun talking and tasting with all of you throughout the evening, and we sincerely appreciate all of the support to NSSRA Foundation and NSSRA participants.

Thank you, Wilmette-Kenilworth Chamber, North Shore Community Bank & Trust and @properties for your support in sponsoring the event, to all of the businesses that participated and to everyone who came out to the walk! We can’t wait for next year! Click here to see photos.

Hey, hey! Don’t ditch those fancy clothes once prom season is done! Help our participants look and feel their best for our 2020 Shining Stars Banquet, when we’ll be celebrating our 50th anniversary as an agency!

New and gently used cocktail and formal dresses, suit coats and ties may be dropped off at the NSSRA office or to D&R Autoworks from May 20, 2019 through April 1, 2020. Click here for details.


If you are a young professional in your twenties or thirties, passionate about serving people with disabilities or giving back to your community, we’re looking for you!

NSSRA is forming an Associate Board of energized individuals to raise awareness and support of NSSRA’s programs and services to the direct benefit of participants.

Interested in joining? To learn more or get involved, please contact Rebekah Lee, Manager of Marketing & Communications, at rlee@nssra.org . The first board meeting will be held on Monday, August 26.

NSSRA has once again been selected as the charitable recipient for the Nielsen USTA Pro Tennis Championship, held in Winnetka. The tournament is a one-of-a-kind event attracting some of the finest tennis players in the world and drawing international attention.

Net proceeds benefit NSSRA, and in the last 12 years the tournament has donated over $185,000 for our programs and services. Click here for details. Interested in volunteering? Sign up here.
Thursday, July 11

Are you new to NSSRA or thinking about registering your child for programs? Join us Thursday, July 11 to learn more about NSSRA and the opportunities available each season. Bring questions, meet NSSRA staff, talk with other families and let us g et to know you, too!

Please RSVP by Friday, July 5 to Marissa Wayne, Recreation Specialist for Youth Programs, at mwayne@nssra .org or (847) 509-9400 x6834. Click here for details.
Saturday, August 3 • 9:30 am

Enjoy carnival rides, games, music and more!

This event is free for the whole family! Open to Northbrook residents with disabilities and individuals with disabilities served by NSSRA and their immediate family or caregiver living in the same household.
Friday, September 13 • 7:30 am

Funds raised from SWING Golf Outing benefit NSSRA programs and services. Sponsored by NSSRA Foundation

Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact Foundation Manager Laurie DeSimone at (847) 509-9400 x6821 or ldesimone@nssra.org .
Come Out and Cheer on the Gators! 

Did you know that you are welcome, in fact invited, to attend Gator games? Come on out and cheer on our Gator softball teams this month, we'd love to have you! Home games are from 7:00 - 8:00 pm on select Tuesday evenings in Lake Forest. Please note the 6:45 pm start time on July 23. Check out a few of our upcoming games below! See how much fun we had at a recent game against WDSRA!




All home games are held at Waveland Park (575 Butler Drive, Lake Forest).

For more information or with questions, contact Recreation Specialist Katie James at (847) 509-9400 x6833 or  kjames@nssra.org .
Summer camps and programs may already be in full swing, but there’s still time to come work for us! We’re looking for swim buddies, craft connoisseurs, back up dancers, professional picnic-ers and all-round enthusiastic lovers of sunshine and good times to join  #teamnssra !

No experience is necessary and we offer flexible scheduling and competitive pay. Click here for details.
Community Events
Wednesday, July 3 • 8:00 am
Gillson Park, Wilmette

Join Wilmette Park District for their Yankee Doodle Dash at Gillson Park! This 5K run is for runners 8 and up and will begin at 8:00 am. A Kids Dash for children up to 7 years old will begin at 7:30 am. Awards will be presented for top runners, and the most patriotic costume also wins a prize! Race day registration available.
Wednesday, July 10 • 4: 45 - 5:15 pm

Storytown takes you on an interactive, fully improvised, musical adventure. This performance is intended for children with sensory-input challenges and disabilities and their families. Registration required.
Thursday, July 11 • 10: 00 - 11:00 am

Enjoy an inclusive and interactive storytime filled with stories, songs, sensory play, and socialization! Children of all abilities with their siblings and caregivers are welcome.

See how much fun it is to learn and play music with this participatory puppet show! This performance is intended for children with sensory-input challenges and disabilities and their families. Registration required.
Thursday, July 25 • 3:30 - 5:30 pm

Enjoy the film, Trolls, with the whole family! Children of all abilities are welcome to enjoy a movie with the lights turned up and the sound turned down. The children may walk, dance and sing during the movie.

Todd Downing tells tall tales and weaves them into lively songs. This performance is intended for children with sensory-input challenges or other disabilities and their families. Registration required.
Saturday, August 10 • 2:00 pm
Goodman Theatre, Chicago

Come experience a sensory friendly performance designed to create a performing arts experience that is intended for families with members who have autism or other social, cognitive and physical challenges that create sensory sensitivities. Tickets start at $15 and are available here. Read more.
NSSRA Board of Directors
Thursday, September 12 at 10:00 am

NSSRA Foundation Board of Directors
Monday, September 16 at 7:00 pm

As part of a program through Amazon called Amazon Smile, when you shop online through  smile.amazon.com , Amazon gives NSSRA Foundation a portion of the profits from your purchase. Click here for details.
NSSRA | 3105 MacArthur Blvd., Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 509-9400 • info@nssra.org • www.nssra.org