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The NDSC Communicator
______________________________________________January, 2012 |
| January, a new beginning!
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Have you made your resolutions for 2012? Broken some? While it's traditional to make resolutions as the new year begins, we think any day is a good day to commit to doing something important, trying something different, or learning something new. Want a few ideas? Take your time. Pick one or two, then commit when you're ready! |
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| Resolve to Share Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you attend last year's convention in San Antonio? Make sure you share some of the information you learned with other parents that you know. Write a letter for your local parent organization's newsletter about a speaker that you heard. Post a link to a great article or website on your Facebook page.
For example, Briggs and Associates is an agency dedicated to providing support and helping individuals with disabilites find and maintain employment. Diane Prindle, from Briggs, was a speaker at our convention. Check out their website and see if the information there can help you in your community.
Need some new information for yourself? You know you can call or email the NDSC anytime with a question and we'll do our best to find the answer for you. Try it! Tell your friends to try it, too! |
Resolve to Celebrate People with Down Syndrome ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Word Down Syndrome Day is March 21st...and any day can be a Just Dance! Day!
There are two new Just Dance! events scheduled -- is one of them near you? 
On February 11, 2012, the Broward Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization will sponsor the second annual Valentine's Dance in Hollywood, FL. Open to all ages, the dance will be held at CAF� iguana in Hollywood, FL from 3:00-6:00 pm. Gordon Garland, a parent of a beautiful little girl with DS and the event's organizer, has a fun filled afternoon planned. Self advocate (and former NDSC board member) Patricia Moody will be performing and simultaneously signing some of her new songs; comic book characters will make appearances, and a professional deejay are just a few of the highlights! If you would like information on being a sponsor or making a donation for the silent auction contact Gordon at 954-253-4127. Put on your dancing shoes!
On February 24, 2012, the Piedmont Down Syndrome Support Network will be holding their first Just Dance! in Winston-Salem, NC. The dance will take place from 7-9 PM at Pinedale Christian Church, in Winston-Salem. The deejay is local favorite, Scott Shirley! This is also a fundraiser as well as an awareness event -- so start collecting pledges now. For more information go to their website: www.pdssn.com.
If you've been thinking about a way to raise awareness about Down syndrome, celebrating the people you know with Down syndrome, or having a fundraiser for NDSC and your local affiliate, now is the time! Call Jennifer at 800-232-6372 or email jennifer@ndsccenter.org. We want to see your Just Dance! event highlighted here! |
| Resolve to Spread the Word to End the Word
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Did you know that over 230,000 people have signed the on-line petition to end the use of the r-word? (If you haven't already, go ahead and sign on now.)
Unfortunately, it's still a word used over and over in popular culture, in Hollywood movies, in your local middle school. Stay active -- when you hear it, help people choose a better word. Take a look at this blog post and see if it will help motivate you to "spread the word to end the word".
Read more about the campaign here, and see if you can make a difference in your community. |
| Resolve to Make Advocacy a Priority
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Are you receivng our Governmental Affairs Newsline emails? Are you a Facebook friend of our Governmental Affairs page? Those are two really easy ways to put legislative advocacy higher on your priority list.
The next step? Come spend an extra day with us (July 19) at our convention in Washington, DC, and advocate in person with a "Day on the Hill"! This year's location provides a unique opportunity to visit with your legislators (in an election year) and express your opinions and concerns about federal legislation that directly affects people with Down syndrome. This is your chance to tell your story, and let your elected officials see the faces of the folks who are impacted by their decisions.
There's a terrific article about advocacy in our upcoming issue of Down Syndrome News, and we'll be providing trainings for everyone attending in July.
Make your plans now. Registration opens in early March! |
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And Another Thing or Two (or Three...)
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1. Resolve to share the NDSC Facebook page with one other person.
2. And add a PicBadge to your profile picture.
3. Resolve to spread the More Alike Than Different message by sending two people to the NDSC YouTube channel.
4. Resolve to get more involved in your local parent organization by volunteering to fold newsletters or serving on the board of directors (or anything in between)! |
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| Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ phone: 800-232-6372/770-604-9500; email: info@ndsccenter.org
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