October
- October 12 - iCan! Programs at UCF
- October 12 - T21 Social Network (18+)
- October 17 - Play Date
- October 22 - Mom's Night Out
- October 26 - iCan! Programs at UCF
- October 27 - Zumba with Elyse!
November
- November 1-3 - Camping Jamboree
- November 9 - Adult Down Syndrome Clinic
- November 12 - Bowling Committee Meeting
- November 16 - iCan! Programs at UCF
- November 17 - Club 321 (middle and high school)
December
- December 13 - Winter Wonderland Party: It's a Wonderful Life
January 2020
- January 18 - iCan! Programs at UCF
- January 15-15 Oral Motor Evaluations
February 2020
- February 16 - 10th Annual Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon
- February 22 - iCan! Programs at UCF
- February 29 - iCan! Programs at UCF
Don't want to miss out on our events?
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Down Syndrome Awareness Month
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Let's celebrate our UNIQUE abilities!
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Down Syndrome Awareness Month is a chance to spread awareness, advocacy, and inclusion throughout the community. During the month of October, we celebrate:
our members,
our partners,
our donors,
our volunteers...
our community,
our unique abilities!
It is also a time to promote awareness and acceptance by educating our peers and sharing our stories about our loved ones with Down syndrome.
We know it takes a village and ours has grown from four founding members with a vision of inclusion to literally thousands of individuals who have embraced that vision and helped us make our dreams a reality. The journey has been one incredible adventure after another, one success story after another, and one life changed after another.
That's why we want to hear from YOU!
If your loved one with Down syndrome has a birthday this month, an accomplishment, or you just want to share a chapter of your story, please send us an email and your submission could be featured during Down Syndrome Awareness Month!
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Like our
Facebook page
and keep an eye out for our member spotlights during the month!
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Here's to celebrating
POTENTIAL
,
OPPORTUNITY,
&
SUCCESS
!
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The 2020 TOUR OF CHAMPIONS
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Are you a wizard or a muggle? autobot or a decepticon?
Find out on a trip to Universal Orlando with 4 (one day) park to park tickets!
Here's how it works:
- Team captain and donor will each receive an entry to the raffle for every $50 donated to their Tour of Champions bowling team!!
- Promotion runs from 10/9 and ends on 10/21 (midnight).
- The winner will be selected at random on 10/22.
Be sure to invite your friends and family to cheer on your team!
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*2019 Block-out dates: 12/21-12/31 (subject to change without notice).Tickets do not include parking.Tickets do not include admission into Universal CityWalk clubs.Tickets are not valid for separately ticketed events including, but not limited to, Halloween Horror Nights.Tickets expire on 2/16/2021.
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The 2020 TOUR OF CHAMPIONS
BOWL-A-THON
Sunday, February 16, 2020
1:30pm - 4:00pm
Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center
10749 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32817
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Prizes! Raffles! Silent Auction!
Preparations for our 2020 Tour of Champions Bowl-a-thon are underway. Now is the time to start getting your teams organized and register so you are guaranteed a lane. This event has sold out EVERY YEAR!
Sunday, February 16, 2020, Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center will once again open their doors to The FOUNDATION as we hold our annual fundraiser. It's a great day of FUN that provides a YEAR of incredible benefits to you and our community.
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If we all work together, everyone benefits exponentially!
Think about how you can contribute; will you...
- have a team?
- help recruit fundraisers?
- request your company to make a donation on your behalf?
- ask a business you frequent for a gift certificate?
- make a gift basket as a door prize?
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If every family contributed something, we would meet our goal in no time! This isn't just about money - this is about offering more and more opportunities for our loved ones to be involved, accepted, understood and have more and more doors opened to them in the future. Together we are better - we hope you will join us!
We are looking for dedicated Teams, Team Captains, Event Sponsors, Volunteers and donations of prizes and auction items. Please spread the word - help us make this Bowl-a-thon the biggest and best yet!
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Our registered CHAMPIONS!
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There's still time to register your team! Click
here
to get started!
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Thank you to all who came to our Down Syndrome Awareness Party and Bowl-A-thon Kick Off on October 5th! We had a blast dancing the night away and gearing up for the Bowl-A-Thon. Congratulations to our first incentive winner - Tracey Wooten, who won a 3 day/2 night stay at the beach! We'll have incentives going between now and the main event.
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Here is a recap of our party!
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Bowl-A-Thon Committee Members needed!
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We are looking for Bowl-a-thon Committee Members. If you would like to be part of the team which puts on our ONLY FUNDRAISER for the year, please email
Camille.Gardiner@dsfflorida.org
.
It is a short-term commitment that only requires a few hours a month between now and our Bowl-a-thon.
Our next meeting will be at Boardwalk Bowl on November 12th at 7pm
.
We are raising the bar to $321,000 for our 10th anniversary and need a GREAT team to help us make it the best year yet!
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Come volunteer with us in a fast paced fun environment and help make a difference. By volunteering to work during the Magic games or concerts as a server's assistant, volunteers will be helping The FOUNDATION raise money to support our iCan Work! program while raising awareness about our organization! If a family volunteers for 5 games they are considered an active member for the rest of the year!
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Please see our upcoming volunteering opportunities below:
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Date
: Saturday, October 12th
Time
: 11:00am - 1:15pm
Where
:
University of Central Florida's Teaching Academy
Rm 130 and 117
4221 Andromeda Loop
Orlando Fl 32816
Parking is free in garage A which is right across the street from the Academy!
What
: Our T21 Social Network group has the wonderful opportunity to sit in on the UCF College and Career Prep program! The program provides participants the chance to learn about and experience some of the opportunities and responsibilities that come with entering adulthood and college life. We know not everyone wants to go to college, but we also believe "you don't know what you don't know!" We want to give our members the opportunity to see if college could be a fit and learn some real life skills that will help them be more independent and successful in the community.
There is a concurrent session just for parents where you will learn first-hand from
from the Inclusion Education Services (IES) team. The session will also feature a panel of present and alumni parents sharing their successes, challenges, outcomes, and dreams and finishing with a Q & A.
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Date
: Thursday, October 17th
Time
: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Location
:
Maitland Public Library
501 Maitland Ave S, Maitland, FL 32751
Lake Lily Park
701 Lake Lily Dr, Maitland, FL 32751
What
: A Play Date at the Maitland Library! We'll get together for story time at the library and then walk over to Lake Lily park. Feel free to bring snacks or a lunch if you'd like to picnic together!
Thank you to Janice Hendrix for planning this fun outing!
Email erin.goding@dsfflorida.org to RSVP
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Come out and join some mommas in the area for some much needed social time. Forming connections and friendships is so important - don't deny yourself an evening of fun! So leave the guilt at home and make some time for friends and building community!So leave the guilt at home and make some time for friends and building community!
Date
: Tuesday, October 22nd
Time
: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location
:
Bistro 424 In Venetian Bay
424 Luna Bella Ln STE 111
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Cost
: The FOUNDATION will put $15 towards your meal, you just pay the difference!
Thank you to Diana Bass for organizing this awesome evening!
This event is sponsored by: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Tampa.
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Our very own Elyse Mundelein has a gig with our good friends at The Zoo Health Club Oviedo! No membership is needed! Just smiling faces!
When
: Sunday, October 27
Time
: 3:45pm for check in, dancing begins at 4:00pm!
Where
: Zoo Health Club
1173 Oviedo Mall Blvd
Oviedo Fl 32765
You do not need to know how to dance, just want to have a good time.
The Zoo Health Club has been a wonderful supporter of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida. They want to extend a warm welcome to all of our members to join Elyse! AND THE CLASS IS FREE!!!
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Camping registration - Last call!!
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The deadline for camping at Jetty Park is approaching fast.
October 21st
is the last day to sign up for our Annual Camping Jamboree. So if you're planning to join us, sign up now to secure your spot. If you don't have a tent, no worries! The FOUNDATION has a set of tents just for this event so families who are interested in giving the outdoor life a try can borrow a tent for the weekend. Please let us know when registering that you'll need one.
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Not only can you enjoy one of Central Florida's beautiful beaches, the park has many amenities including a HUGE playground, sand volleyball, fishing from the pier, sport equipment rentals such as boogie boards, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards and you can enjoy waving good-bye to the passengers on the cruise ships as they leave Cape Canaveral.
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Where
: Jetty Park Campground - 9035 Campground Cir.
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
When
: November 1st - 3rd
This weekend is one of the most anticipated events of the year! The FOUNDATION started camping with our members 8 years ago, not only because we enjoy camping and spending time with our members, but also because it is a GREAT way to spend time with friends and family. We go to Jetty Park (where the cruise ships go out to sea), provide tents (or you can bring your own), breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday night. We rent beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards and kayaks and have a BLAST. This a great way for us to spend the day together at the beach while teaching your loved one (or maybe YOU) to enjoy the outdoors. To learn more about what this event entails and to register, visit our website!
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Registration Deadline:
• October 18, 2019 to receive a t-shirt;
• October 21, 2019 last day to register.
Cost
: $25 per family to camp or $10 per family for Saturday cookout. Payment due at time of registration.
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Adult Down Syndrome Clinic
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Who:
Individuals with Down syndrome age 17 - 35.
What:
Free medical screening and consultation with health professionals and community resources!
Where:
Howard Phillips Center
601 W. Michigan Street
Orlando, FL 32805
When:
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Clinic hours:
9:00am - 12:30pm
The Clinic is jointly hosted by the Down Syndrome Foundation, the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida, and Orlando Health. The clinic is designed for adults ages 17 - 35 years. Providers available for consultation include an endocrinologist, dietician, dentist, gynecologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and neuropsychologist. Information on community resources will also be available. All participants will have a hearing evaluation by an audiologist.
The Adult Clinic is FREE. Space is limited.
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Club 321 (middle and high school)
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Ready to hang out with a super AWESOME crew?
Check our our next Club 321 outing for middle and high schoolers!
Date
: Sunday, November 17th
Time
: 12:00pm - 4:00pm (times subject to movie showing)
Location
: Subject to available movie times
What
: Lunch and a movie! Our middle and high school group will be getting together for the afternoon to enjoy a yummy lunch and a movie! Location TBD until movie showings are finalized.
Cost
: The FOUNDATION will cover your movie ticket, attendees should bring money for lunch!
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Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) uses a hierarchical based approach to improve speech clarity and feeding skills in individuals of all ages and across diagnoses. These innovative techniques focus on motor movement activities used to improve phonation, resonation, and speech clarity. Combined with a tactile-sensory approach, OPT provides a comprehensive solution to a variety of speech and feeding issues. OPT involves the use of therapy tools to train and transition muscle movements for speech production. Our techniques, applied in combination with the tools, make the difference in client’s lives
.
The FOUNDATION offers traveling clinics to provide oral placement evaluations and program development. This program is highly beneficial and will provide an outline for an on-going program that must be implemented by a parent or speech therapist on a daily or weekly basis.
Click on the video below to learn more about Oral Placement Therapy.
Deadline to apply for an Oral Placement evaluation is
November 29th, 2019
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Like many of us, Mr. Tomas Montemayor is a very active parent and is always looking for ways to raise awareness while supporting the Down Syndrome Foundation. While researching different fundraising options, he learned about his school district’s on going Jeans Day fundraising program. A simple idea turned out to make a huge difference! The Brevard School District showed great support and
raised almost $2,000
for the benefit of The FOUNDATION.
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Mr. Montemayor offers the following advice to parents:
1. Be efficient and try to take advantage of existing fundraising programs. Many school districts already have successful programs in place. Ask teachers and school administrators. Learn about the programs and select the one that's best for you.
2. Mark your calendars. Make sure you know when all your deadlines are.
3. Practice persistence. If for some reason your idea is initially denied, keep trying, don't give up!
4. Be proactive and plan ahead. Start thinking about the upcoming year. Most school district fundraisers are planned during the summer months.
Thank you Tomas!
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Post Secondary Scholarship
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This month the Down Syndrome FOUNDATION of Florida awarded our inaugural Post Secondary Scholarships. Michael is taking classes at UCF and Faith Cristina is taking classes at Valencia. Many of us were told not to expect much when our children were born, it's pioneers like these two and many others who are breaking down barriers and showing that we should never say our loved ones are anything less. Their abilities are evident and amazing! Bravo Michael and Faith-Christina! You are defining what is possible:
POTENTIAL + OPPORTUNITY = SUCCESS!
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Winter Wonderland Holiday Party
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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Please Join Us
Friday, December 13th
6 - 9 pm
Rosen Plaza Hotel
9700 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
The FOUNDATION is very proud to once again provide our members the opportunity to enjoy a fun night of great food and entertainment as we celebrate the wonderful lives of our friends and families!
We can't wait to dance the night away as we ring in the Holiday Season!
Space is limited, please RSVP below.
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As we head into the holidays, we want all of our members to celebrate with a nice meal that they can enjoy with their loved ones.
The FOUNDATION continues our tradition this season, providing food and gift items for our families who need assistance.
If your family would like to receive the ingredients for a Holiday Dinner or assistance with purchasing gifts, please click on the request button below, fill out the form and we will be in touch with you.
Please submit requests for holiday assistance by
Friday, November 15, 2019
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Technology Tip and Tricks
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Many apps are introducing parental control tools for iOS and Android devices that can help limit screen time and phone usage while also filtering the kinds of websites children can access when surfing the web.
You may want to consider the
Google Family Link app
, which is a completely free tool parents can use to control what apps their children download on their devices, how much screen time they’re allowed to have each day, and what content they can purchase. It works on both Android and iOS.
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The holidays are just around the corner!
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Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida when you shop through their link.
First, go to
www.smile.amazon.com
and register to donate to the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida. After that, every time you
shop, Amazon smile will automatically donate .5% of your purchase to The FOUNDATION.
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Let's get social!
Follow us on social media for more information
and to stay updated on our upcoming events!
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