October 29, 2009 Upcoming Events Friday, Oct. 30 Fall Fest (for Villa residents only this year as a precaution against the flu) 2:30pm Village & Ranch Halloween Party at the Village Community Center 6:30pm Sunday, Nov. 1 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS--fall back one hour! Friday, Nov. 13 MPFA meeting, preceding the Sports Banquet at 4:30pm Village Conference Room in the Admin Office Sports Banquet 6:30pm Creekside Pavilion You can now find the current month's calendar of events at http://www.marbridge.org/calendar/ Looking ahead:  November 15-16 Special Olympics Regional Bowling Competition November 25-27 Thanksgiving holiday No training classes Fired Up! Jerry Ladner, left, and Spook Partlow show us some of the money they raised by promoting a contest on one hole of the golf course. Annual golf tournament is a resident-pleasing event! We always look forward to mid-October and the annual Fired Up! Foundation Golf Tournament. Creed Ford and his organization always invite a contingent of residents to "manage" fund-raising contests at two holes on the course. And best of all, they get to bring back whatever they raise! This year, the amount was $1,092, which will be added to the Resident Activity Fund. The fund provides resources for residents in need so they can enjoy some of the many community outings offered by Marbridge. In addition to the contest monies raised by residents, the Fired Up! Foundation also donates to Marbridge a portion of the overall money raised by the tournament. This year, it was a generous $20,000! We are very thankful for the loyal support of the Fired Up! Foundation--they are true Marbridge heroes!  Thanks to our many friends, this event was a complete success! More than 160 people attended our Making Miracles luncheon on Friday, October 23, and they were obviously moved by what they saw and heard about Marbridge. At the end of the event, we received pledges and donations totaling nearly $550,000, which will be used to fill the gap between tuition revenue and the cost to provide care and services to the residents of Marbridge. "It was incredibly moving to witness the outpouring of good will from the crowd," said Michelle Levy, vice president of development. "We are blessed to have so many friends in the Austin community." The event featured a video-taped message from resident Jason Vivian and a powerful testimony from his mother, Kaye Vivian, on what finding Marbridge has meant to Jason and his family. An excellent video produced by Ranch director Brian Haddock provided the crowd an overview of Marbridge, as well as additional testimonies from the families of three other residents. The meal and program may have lasted only one hour for the guests who attended, but their generosity will have a much longer lasting affect on the financial health of Marbridge and on the lives of the 239 residents who call it "home" and who will directly benefit from the miracles that occurred on October 23. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who attended and gave of their time and treasure. We also want to thank our food and beverage sponsor, PlainsCapital Bank, and University Federal Credit Union for assisting with additional expenses. Many thanks to all of you for the miracles you provided at this event! St. Michael's Academy--a volunteer army A student from St. Michael's takes time out from cleaning the bus to  greet Kenneth Jones as he passed by on his bicycle. St. Michael's Catholic Academy arrived at Marbridge on October 14 for their Fall Senior Service Day with an army of volunteers. Nearly 130 high school students split into groups to tackle a variety of projects around campus. Some student volunteers weeded the Horticultural Therapy Center, others cleaned the interior of the bus, and still others polished furniture throughout the Senior and Winters dorms. They also took time out for a little fun by making Halloween cards for the residents! Naturally, our staff and residents always look forward to their service day visits. Many thanks to all who participated in this service outing! Congratulations to the Oak Leaves! New bench commemorates 25 years of service Members of the Oak Leaves volunteer group express delight at the unveiling of the new bench beside the chapel. A plaque proclaims it is in honor of the group's 25 years of service to Marbridge residents.  The next time you drive on campus, look left and you'll see a beautiful, new circular bench surrounding one of the trees by the chapel. It was placed there in mid-October to honor The Oak Leaves, a volunteer group that traces its beginning back to Marge Bridges. The group began helping out at Marbridge in 1984, and they play a vital role at the Ranch today through monthly parties and by befriending the residents. They also help decorate the chapel at Christmas and provide cookies for the reception after the program. So congratulations-and many thanks to the Oak Leaves-for 25 years of loyal service to the residents!   LIFE Lines is published for family, friends, volunteers and staff members of Marbridge, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that provides training and residential care for adults with cognitive challenges.