October 2014

Dearest Friends,

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. It's a month designated to spread public awareness about people with Down syndrome and make people aware of just how beautiful and wonderful they are!!

I love what the National Down Syndrome Conference says, "It's not about celebrating disabilities, it's about celebrating abilities!"

With that in mind, we have lots of fun events coming up in October including the Color Run, Gilbert, the Halloween Family Fun Fair and the Great

Pumpkin Festival at Desert Botanical Gardens!

But before we get to that I want to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who came out and/or supported our 15th Annual Walk for Down Syndrome!! There were over 4,000 people there and we raised over $84,000!!! Thank you!!

Congratulations to Eme's Army for raising the most money! They got to lead the parade!!

You can check out more photos from the walk here: http://sdsaphotos.com/

Also, see below for information on upcoming October events that will be so much fun!! Make sure you register now for these fun events as they fill up fast!!

Love you all!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

David's Mom

(aka Gina Johnson)

PS. See the very bottom of this email with a flyer about a FREE Training for young adults self advocates and parents of children with disabilities. It's a wonderful program Program by Pilot Parents of Southern AZ and is held in Chandler.

This is the most amazing training I have ever had! It is my wish that each of you dear parents would take this free course. It will empower you to be the best advocate for your child ever!

You will need to be recommended and I would do that in a heartbeat for anyone who'd like to attend. Please consider this offer and email me if you'd like to be recommended. Gina@sharingds.org.

Register Now for the Color Dash 5K Fun Run on October 18th to benefit Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona!!

Come and participate in Gilbert, Arizona's, Color Dash on Saturday, October 18th, 2014 at 8:30 starting and ending at Freestone Park. This fun, family-friendly event is going to be a big difference maker - it's Gilbert's Brightest 5k run/walk.

The Color Dash is a fun-filled experience for walkers, runners, and people of all ages, shapes, and sizes! The dash is not timed - it's more about sharing memories, laughing, and getting colored like a bag of Skittles than competing.

As participants run, walk (or even crawl) the course, our Dasher-Splasher volunteers will splash them with special colorful dust. Results - a white t-shirted community of do-gooders, turned into a rainbow of colorful faces.

All proceeds from The Color Dash: Gilbert will go to: Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona, a Gilbert, Arizona, based nonprofit whose mission is to educate and empower, but especially, to give hope for families who love a child with Down syndrome in Arizona.

The registration fee for this event is $45 per individual, $35 per team member, and $85 for family of 3 plus $15 for each family member after that, children 5 and under are free!

Get your family and friends together, or Dash on your own - either way - enjoy the dash, the music, and the color, while YOU help a great cause! We look forward to seeing you there!

The Dash started as a fundraiser for a suicide awareness & prevention film, and has grown in its first year to over 30+ dashes, benefitting abuse centers, youth athletic complexes, orphanage planting, animal rescue shelters, and many more. The Dash will bring the Color, all you have to do... is Let The Color Move You.

It's the Great Pumpkin Festival At Desert Botanical Gardens!!

Every year the Desert Botanical Garden hosts "The Great Pumpkin Festival" and invites our families to attend for free on this one day only!

This special day is for children aged 12 and under with special needs and is closed to the public.

If you would like to attend, you must register as spaces are limited!

Register Now

In the registration form we ask for your email and address. This is simply to make sure our records are updated and so that we can send you information relative to the side of town in which you live. We do not share your information. xoxoxo

FREE Halloween Family Fun Fair

October 25th, 2014

5:00 PM

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

3010 E. Thunderbird Rd.,

Phoenix, AZ 85032

This wonderful FREE HALLOWEEN FAMILY FUN FAIR is put on by the youth group at the Thunderbird Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a way for them to give back to the community. We are so honored that they thought of us!

There will be lots of fun!!! Cotton candy, popcorn, hot dogs, fun games for people of all ability levels, music, fun photos, balloon Hats, Face Painting, Relay races, Hula hoop contest and more fun with our kids who are the best party animals ever! Xoxo I can't wait to see you there!!

All are welcome!!

Love, Gina Johnson (aka David's Mom)

Quick Links

Sharing DS website

Email Us

Registration is Now Open for

"Count Me In"

An All Day Workshop with Dr. Michael Remus

Sat., Nov 1st, 2014

9:00 am-4:00 pm.

6 CE Credits Available

Free-But You Must Register

I promise, this is one meeting you will not want to miss!

Michael is many things...he has been a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a school principal, a college instructor, a special education director for a school district, a state special education director for the State of Kansas, but best of all...he is the proud parent of four children, two of whom have disabilities.

On Saturday, November 1st, he will be presenting an all day workshop called "Count Me In."

This parent and teacher training is for anyone who wants to learn how to effectively include children with Down syndrome in the general education classroom.

I promise this is a course you will not want to miss. Everyone who attends will receive 6 CE credits. This course is provided for FREE by Sharing Down Syndrome AZ.

Sorry, no respite provided for this event.

Seating is limited. Register now.

Do You Shop on Amazon?

Next time you are going to shop on Amazon.com log on to

http://smile.amazon.com

instead and choose Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona.

Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to us!! It's easy, and it helps!!