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IN THE NEWS!
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Bradley Wilinski
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| TSA-IL Youth Ambasador, Bradley Wilinski was featured this past Sunday morning on ABC news.
He graciously shared his experiences with Tourette Syndrome.
Great job Bradley -- keep educating and advocating!
 Click to see Bradley's TV Interview. |
3rd Annual Family Fun in the Sun at Rainbow Falls Waterpark*
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First 20 paid registrations (one per family) will receive a TSA Softside Cooler!
*This event will replace our Annual Picnic this year.
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| 17th Annual Golf Classic was a success! |  | |
Our 17th Annual Golf Classic in June was a wonderful success!
A huge thank to:
*all the Golfers
*all who donated time, prizes and money
*TSA National
* The amazing Golf Committee
* Bryn Mawr Country Club
*and many others who made this event possible
The funds raised from this truly do allow
TSA-IL to continue advocating and educating about Tourette Syndrome.
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| Run For the Roses Sponsor Thank You! | |
Thank you to all of this year's Run for the Roses sponsors.
Thank you for giving back to the Community, to Tourette Syndrome Association of Illinois (TSA-IL) and to Tourette Syndrome Camp (TSO)!
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Tic Connection Planning Meeting, July 28
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To gear up for future support group events, there will be a planning meeting on July 28th.
For time and location information, contact group leader, or call her cell phone 847-800-8781.
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| Volunteer Opportunities |  | |
TSA-IL welcomes any time or talent you wish to share.
We are ALWAYS in need of volunteers! If you have time to donate (even an hour a month), we have opportunities for you to get involved!
We would love to have your assistance! |
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Message from the President
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 | | Sande Shamash |
Almost 9 years ago, I had my first contact with TSA-Illinois. My son and I had just been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and I needed information, guidance and support. Many of our current and past board members jumped into action and thus began the journey. My own professional involvement was as a board member specializing in legal advocacy, support group leader, executive director and most recently chapter president. But it was much more than that. I met the most amazing people, learned more than I could have in any school and received the support and encouragement I needed to grow as a person with TS and parent. Our chapter grew as never before and we achieved many if not all of our yearly goals. Over a year ago, when my life became a little more complicated, I stepped down as the executive director of our chapter. I continued on as president to oversee the transition into new leadership. Although it was not the ideal situation for our chapter, I believe it was a necessary one. Sometimes you need to regroup before you can move forward. As always, our board, volunteers and staff did their very best and we continued our amazing tradition of running support groups, conducting in-services, advocating and fundraising for those affected by TS in Illinois. If we were a bit overwhelmed and understaffed at times, that is all on me. The good news is that we continue to persevere and look forward. I am more than pleased to announce that Jen Johnson, chapter vice-president, board member and support group leader, has been approved by the board to take over as the interim president of TSA-Illinois. Jen will serve until our next election of officers and then I have no doubt will be elected as president. In Jen, we will have a leader that values the traditional strengths of our organization with an eye towards the future, continuing our growth with new ideas and a fresh perspective. It has been an honor to serve TSA-IL and I look forward to a continued role with the chapter. I am excited as we embark on new adventures and continue the tradition of service started by an amazing group of people over 30 years ago. -Sande S. Shamash |
Educational Presenters Needed!
|  No experience needed -- training provided!
Have you or your child experienced a teacher(s) that just didn't understand what Tourettes really is, thought your child has was a "problem" child with behavioral problems or thought you simply didn't know how to "parent" your child?
One of the most important services TSA-IL provides are trained advocates to present information about TS and co-morbid conditions to teachers and staff in schools. If you are an outgoing person and would like to learn more about becoming an In-Service Presenter, please contact Lisa at [email protected].
Our next training will at our Glen Ellyn Office in August. We have lots of information and make it a fun experience. Educating others about Tourette Syndrome is one the best tools we have to help ourselves and others understand more about the challenges of TS.
We desperately need more presenters. Nothing breaks our heart more than telling a school who request a TS presentation and we have to say "No" because there aren't enough presenters.
Please note, becoming an educational trainer is completely flexible, your commitment level is completely up to you. When a school requests an In-Service presentation, we send out an email to all trained presenters and if you are available, you can volunteer to conduct the training. Please consider becoming an educational presenter today! Email any questions to [email protected] or call (630) 790-8083. |
| 17th Annual Run for the Roses Another Success! | 
Thank you to all of our race participants, sponsors and volunteers for another successful Run for the Roses this past June in Roselle!
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Mark Mandel, Race Director
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A very special thank you to the founder and director of the Run for Roses, Mark Mandel.
Mark's vision for this amazing fundraiser has benefited TSA-IL and Touette Camp for the past 17 years. The funds raised from this event allow TSA-IL to provide many of it's services and provides scholarships for some to attend TS Camp!
The Run for the Roses has grown into one of the finest 5K races enjoyed by running enthusiasts and families alike. Mark has dedicated his talents and resources to this incredible event for 17 years and counting!
We love you Mark and thank you for sharing your time, talent and drive -- you are an inspiration and have touched many lives! |
TS Educational Workshop - Featuring
Susan Conners, M.Ed.
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 | Susan Conners, M.Ed.
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Sunday, September 29th
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
This is one workshop you won't want to miss! If you have questions about TS, associated disorders, the impact of these disorders on social emotional well-being, school performance and behavior, then this is a must attend!
Mark the date on your calendar and watch for a separate e-mail with Registration Information coming soon!
This workshop is made possible by a grant from the Brad Cohen Foundation.
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Youth Ambassador Corner - Bradley Wilinski
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Bradley Wilinski at Capitol Hill.
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I'm Bradley Wilinski, I'm 13 years old and I am the Illinois Tourette Association Youth Ambassador for 2013.
A Youth Ambassador is trained to speak to others about Tourettes and goes to schools or organizations to explain about TS. For example, a school might request a Youth Ambassador to come and speak to a classroom where a student has Tourettes. Then the other students and teachers would have a better understanding of TS.
If you think you might want to be a Youth Ambassador, start by filling out an application and writing an essay. If you are selected, you get to go to Washington DC! In DC you get to meet the other Youth Ambassadors from all over the country, go to meetings, trainings, and practice sessions on being a Youth Ambassador. On the final day, you get to go to Capitol Hill to speak to the Congressmen and women from your state, tell them about the challenges of living with Tourettes and why you need their support. If you are between 13-18 years old and are interested in this, be sure to send an email to [email protected], then Lisa will send you the application when it becomes available (usually in November).
I enjoyed meeting people from other states. I was amazed that many of the teens had never met anybody with Tourettes before! I guess I'm fortunate to live in an area with such an active TSA. It's nice to meet others with TS and know I am not alone.
I hope you will consider being a Youth Ambassador if this sounds good to you. I bet you would enjoy this experience as much as I do!
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| Oswego "Tic Together" Community Group Meeting, Wednesday, August 21st | |
New Community/Support Group - Oswego
Tic Together has had two very successful Community Group meetings in June and July.
Group Leader, Nicole Rousseau, hopes even more can join the group at the next meeting, Wednesday, August 21st.
UPCOMING MEETINGS - 3rd Wednesday of the Month
- August 21st
- September 18th
- October 16th
- November 20th
- December 18th
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Tourette Syndrome Association of Illinois (TSA-IL)
