Good Things to Know About...
Madison Area Down Syndrome Society
June 12, 2009
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Greetings!
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Well, Folks, it's the end of the school year and bike camp is next week. Hard to believe...
I hope your summer gets off to a great start this weekend and that you have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
Be well,
Andrea
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State Budget: Impact on People with Disabilities
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The Assembly will be discussing the next state budget, AB-75, starting
today. Already announced are several changes to the budget affecting
people with disabilities from the version that was passed by the Joint
Finance Committee.
These changes are:
1. People choosing the self-direction option under Family Care called
IRIS will be able to use the Ombudsman Program to help resolve service
plan disputes.
2. The spending limits for the Autism Insurance provision has been
lowered from $60,000 to $50,000 for intensive treatment and from $30,000
to $25,000 for on-going treatment.
3. Special Olympics of Wisconsin has been exempted from the 5% across
the board cuts that are required of other line items in the budget.
4. The housing tax exemption provision for seniors and low-income people
has been taken out of the budget. This has been sought by Madison
non-profits and disability advocates who say it is needed to keep
providing housing to the poor and people with disabilities. Municipal
officials and others had criticized the measure in recent days, saying it
was unfair to give exemptions for senior housing units worth more than
$500,000 in suburban Milwaukee.
It is expected that the Assembly will pass their version of the budget
within the next few days. The budget will then move to the Senate for
their consideration. If there are no differences between the two
versions, then the budget goes to Gov. Doyle for his action. If there
are differences, then a conference committee will be formed to settle the
differences and then the two houses would have to vote on that version.
For more information about the budget, go to the DAWN budget page at:
<http://www.dawninfo.org/advocacy/budget.cfm>. The Arc Wisconsin has
developed a brief resource that compares the action taken by the Joint
Finance Committee versus what Gov. Doyle proposed. You can read that at:
<http://www.arc-wisconsin.org/resources/2009statebudgetddissuegovernorjointfinancesummaryc.pdf>.
Take Action Now:
It is very likely the budget will be passed by the legislature within
the next week or so. If you want to have your opinions heard, you should
Take Action now. The easy way to that is to use the DAWN "Take Action"
tool located on the DAWN web site at: <http://www.dawninfo.org/>. Go to
the State Budget Bill, AB-75, and follow the instructions to Take Action.
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Weekend Events
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Hometown USA Festival in Verona
6/11-14, Hometown Park, Verona, with carnival, sports & more.
Thursday: Music by Open Sights 7 pm, fireworks 9:30 pm. Friday: Lube
8:30 pm ($6). Saturday: Cherry Pie 8:30 pm ($6). Sunday: 8889 11 am
(Park Bank rooftop), parade noon, Wundo Band 2 pm. Schedule:
www.veronahometowndays.com or 845-9050
Call: 845-9050
Web: www.veronahometowndays.com
Mad-City Ski Team
Free water ski show, 5:30 pm Sundays, Law Park (off Lake Monona east
of Monona Terrace). 663-8326
When: Weekly on Sunday @ 5:30pm
Call: 663-8326
Web: http://madcityskiteam.com
Girls Softball Tournament
Sessions at 9 am, 1:30 & 6 pm, 6/11-12 and finals 10 am, 12:30, 3 &
5:30 pm, 6/13, UW Goodman Softball Diamond. $6/session; $4/game
finals. 715-344-8580
Breakfast on the Farm
30th annual June Dairy Month event, 7-11 am, 6/13, Hinchley's Farm,
Cambridge, with horse-drawn wagon rides, farm tours, educational
displays, music by The Soggy Prairie Boys. $6 ($4 ages 2-11).
www.danecountydairy.com or 577-8990
Middleton's BIG Event
Kick off your summer BIG with Middleton's BIG Event, June 13th,
2009. Enjoy 20 live musical acts.Taste great food from 40 local
restaurants. Find great deals at the BIG Sale and take advantage of a
huge variety of events and activities throughout the day. Just hop on
a FREE BIG Bus and go!
various locations in Middleton, with music ($5 pass for all
venues), food, city-wide garage & sidewalk sales, many free activities
for all ages, fireworks (9:30 pm, from Greenway Station area).
Schedule: www.middletonbigevent.com. 831-6350
Kids Bowl Free Summer Program
Kids bowl free all summer. 2 free games of bowling a day all Summer!
When: thru 8/30/2009
Where: Dream Lanes www.kidsbowlfree.com
Times Available
Monday NA
Tuesday 11 AM-9 PM
Wednesday 11 AM-9 PM
Thursday 11 AM-9 PM
Friday 11 AM-9 PM
Saturday 11 AM-9 PM
Sunday Noon-6 PM
Terms and ConditionsNot good for use with daycare outings, business
or club outings, or birthday party celebrations.
Not valid with other coupons or any other special offers. Other
restrictions may apply.
Shoe Rental: Standard shoe rental rates apply
**How the program works:**
All of the participating bowling centers are listed at
http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php
Select a bowling center near you.
Register directly on the bowling center page (The registration is
valid only at the bowling center where you register and cannot be used
at any other bowling center unless otherwise noted.)
Once you register, you will have the opportunity to purchase the
family pass. The Family Pass was created to allow for adult family
members to enjoy bowling throughout the summer as well. The Family
Pass starts from $23.95 and includes 2 GAMES PER PERSON PER DAY. The
Family Pass covers up to 4 adult family members. You may have 1, 2, 3,
or 4 adults on the family pass.
This low one-time payment covers up to 4 adults for the entire summer
and is a tremendous value.
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Will You Help??
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My daughter, Asha, was born a little over a year ago proudly possessing
an extra 21st chromosome. My wife, Tora, and I feel fortunate to have
found the MADSS community since then. I was so moved by your passion
that I joined the MADSS Board and took on the responsibility of Board
President this month.
MADSS has built a wonderful community
because of the time, energy and resources each and every one of you
have invested. We've got another exciting season of events that
strengthen MADSS and Madison and we need your help to make them a
success.
We're looking for businesses that can provide
sponsorships or auction and raffle items for the Golf Outing and Buddy
Walk. You can help!
-- Join our sponsorship committee to help
identify businesses that can help. Contact Sue Dahlen to learn more:
sue.dahlen@att.net
-- Ask for raffle and auction items from a business you know well. Let Sue know so we don't ask anyone twice: sue.dahlen@att.net
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Encourage your favorite business to sponsor both or either event.
Contact Andrea Wipperfurth for a donor packet: andrea@madss.org
Sponsorship
levels for the Golf Outing and Buddy Walk range from $25 on up. Your
business or a business you know can promote its commitment to a strong
community on T-shirts and/or literature at each of the events.
Golfers
and walkers have bid on a wide range for auction items at MADSS events
too. Restaurant gift cards, homemade handicrafts, sports tickets and
everything in between have helped MADSS raise money to help families
all around Madison.
MADSS events enrich the lives of our entire
community. Contact Sue or Andrea to learn more about what you can do
to help to get the whole community involved.
Thanks so much for all you do for MADSS!
Raj Shukla
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BIG WALK NEWS!
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Announcing the
STEP UP FOR DOWN SYNDROME
Walk 2009New Name! New Location! No Rain! Saturday, October 10, 2009 This year's event will be held at our all new location: Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. Registration will open in August. Bucky, Brat Man, Maynard, Dottie T. Dot, & Happy Heart will all be there...Will you??? If you would like to be involved in the planning of this year's event,please contact Sue Dahlen, chair of the Special Events Committee, at sue.dahlen@att.net for more information.
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2009 Golf Outing
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The 2009 MADSS Golf Outing. will take place on Thursday, August 6th, at the Oaks Golf Course. presented by Winston & Strawn, LLC Save the date! Registration opens soon.
If you're interested in helping out during the planning of the outing or on the day of the event, please contact Sue at sue.dahlen@att.net
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Funding for Families
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Learning Enhancement Program, v. 2009
In response to families'
needs and feedback, the Learning Enhancement program has been
revamped. To increase flexibility and ease of use, $400 per person
with DS will now be available each year. The funds can be used for
materials, conferences (including family members), program, therapies,
classes, and other disability related education. Please see
www.madss.org for the application form (front page) and more
information. |
Mark Your Calendars- MADSS Events Coming Up
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MADSS 3rd Annual Lose the Training Wheels Bike
June 15-19, 2009
Oregon High School, Oregon, WI
NBC 15 Bike Camp Coverage
MADSS Golf Outing
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Oaks Golf Course
Registration opening soon!
Annual Picnic
Monday, August 10, 2009
Kalscheur Park, Pine Bluff
DADS 3rd Annual Fall Campout
Sept 5-6- More information coming soon!
A great escape for the kids right before school takes over.
DADS-only Brewers Outing - Late Season Cubs game Sept 22- More information coming soon!
Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center
Registration opens in August
Quality IEP Workshop, in partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District, coming in Fall 2009
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Tee Off to Raise Money for MSCR
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You are invited to the 5th Annual Fore Friends Golf Outing, sponsored by Friends
of MSCR on Friday, July 17. This is our only annual fundraiser and helps support
a wide variety of MSCR programs. As part of this event, we have an exciting raffle to win a 3-night
stay at the fabulous Island Lodge of The Congor Collection (www.thecongorcollection.com).
Tickets are $5 each or 5/$20.
The event takes place at Yahara Hills Golf Course with tee off at 2 pm. The $60
fee provides golfers with 9 holes of golf, a shared cart, gift bag, dinner and
opportunities for door prizes.
Dinner follows golf at the Harley Davidson Banquet Room, where participants may
bid on wonderful silent auction prizes. $15 of the registration fee is tax
deductible. We are still
accepting cash sponsorships, prize and silent auction donations.
To sign up for golf, make a donation or purchase raffle tickets, drop in at the
MSCR office or download a golf registration or ticket order form at the MSCR
website - www.mscr.org.
For information, contact MSCR at 204-3000, or email MSCR Executive Director at
lchaffin@madison.k12.wi.us.
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Sexuality & Puberty Workshops for Parents and Kids
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Workshop for Boys
This two-hour workshop is designed for parents and their sons ages 11-14. After attending the pro-gram participants will be able to:
Describe the physical and emotional changes that happen to boys during puberty
Identify societal rules related to private body parts
DATE:
Saturday, August 29th 1:00-3:00 PM
Workshop for Girls
This two-part program is designed for mothers and/or other significant female adults and their daughters ages 10-14. After attending the workshop participants will be able to:
Describe the physical and emotional changes girls experience during puberty
Use feminine hygiene products correctly
Identify societal rules related to private body parts
DATES:
Saturday, August 29th 9:30-11:30 AM
Saturday, September 5th 9:30-11:30 AM
Presented by:
Terri Couwenhoven MS is an AASECT certified sex educator who specializes in designing and implementing sexuality programs and materials for people with intellectual disabilities, their families and the professionals who support them. She is author of Teaching Children with Down syndrome about their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Her puberty workshops help families learn together in a comfortable, safe, and fun environment. Concrete teaching methods (videos, slides, pictures, games, activities) will be used to improve comprehension and help parents become more comfortable and confident helping their children understand body changes, self care, and appropriate social behavior.
Payment & Fee
Male workshop- $ 30.00
Female workshop- $45.00 (2 parts)
The cost of this workshop includes light refreshments and all handout materials. Send payment and completed registration form to the above address. Class size is limited to 12 parent/child couples per class. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
Workshop for Girls
This two-part program is designed for mothers and/or other significant female adults and their daughters ages 10-14. After attending the workshop participants will be able to:
Describe the physical and emotional changes girls experience during puberty
Use feminine hygiene products correctly
Identify societal rules related to private body parts
DATES:
Saturday, August 29th 9:30-11:30 AM
Saturday, September 5th 9:30-11:30 AM
see the full brochure at MADSS Resource Page
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Upcoming Events-
a few things, near & far, you might be interested in
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CI Summer Party!!!
Events for all ages and abilities!
June 20th, 2009
11:00AM-2:00PM
2990 Cahill Main
Madison, Wisconsin 53711
608.204.6083
The team at Communication Innovations would like to thank you for your continued support over the years. We are inviting ALL friends and families to our FREE event. This event is designed to provide fun and excitement for children of all ages and abilities. Adaptive equipment will be on hand to make the excitement accessible to ALL!
We are extremely excited to have Hal from Creative Mobility join us. Hal has created adaptive bikes to make biking enjoyable to everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive challenges! In addition, we will have other local businesses on hand to let you know about special events and adaptive activities that they offer!
We hope that you can join us on June 20th for this event! It is a great way to explore new possibilities, meet new friends, and have FUN! Please feel free to spread the word...this event is for EVERYONE!
If you are planning to attend and have questions about accommodations, or suggestions about accommodations please email office@communicationinnovations.com
We encourage local businesses to attend and provide information. If you are interested in participating please contact jen@communicationinnovations.com
Activities for all ages and abilities!
Bounce House
Adaptive Bikes
Face Painting
Food and Snacks
Music
Games and Prizes
and MORE!
WI Community on Transition June meeting: post-secondary
The next Community on Transition meeting will be June 18 at 9 a.m. at Madison Area Technical College. The focus will be on post-secondary education. The meeting will also include sharing time from the other practice groups (health and transition; youth leadership; employment; and family involvement). These meetings are free and open to the public. Anyone with an interest in transition in Wisconsin is welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Sandy Hall at sghall@matcmadison.edu if you are planning to attend. The parking code to use is 3111.
Buddy Cruise
The National Down Syndrome Congress affiliate Buddy Cruise will be setting sail October 17 for a 5 night voyage to Cozumel and Grand Cayman! There will be two days at sea filled with wonderful workshops and events especially designed for Buddy Cruise! We invite you to join families from across the nation as we celebrate our amazing children! Royal Caribbean will reassess our existing group rates on April 1, at that time they are subject to change. Don't miss the boat...reserve your cabin today! A $100.00 deposit per person will guarantee the current rates; Final payment not due until July 15. To reserve a cabin contact Cruise Planners at sherry@cruisesforu.com or 1- 888-464-1827. Questions or comments should be directed to joinus@buddycruise.com . Pre-night hotel can be booked online visit www.buddycruise.com for details.
FREE Special Needs Financial Planning Workshop
Time: June 27, 2009 from 10am to 12pm
Location: Middleton Public Library (Downstairs Conference Room)
Street: 7425 Hubbard Ave.
City/Town: Middleton
Troy Blodgett works for Merrill Lynch and is a Certified Special Needs
Advisor, in Madison. The Special Needs Network he is a member of has
obtained funding to assist local organizations in conducting a workshop
for families of children with disabilities. In conjunction with Iris
Christenson from Christenson & Allex Law Firm, the workshop would
cover financial planning basics for special needs families; how to
preserve government benefits; special needs trusts; how to avoid
pitfalls in planning; and answer any financial or legal questions
participants may have.
Please RSVP by June 19 so that we may have enough materials for all participants. Contact Krysia @ magic4ourkids@gmail.com.
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"To do something, however small, to make others happier and better, is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope, which can inspire a human being."
-John Lubbock
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Andrea Wipperfurth
Madison Area Down Syndrome Society
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