Sibling
Issues Topic Set for November Meeting
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Sherilyn Walton, parent outreach coordinator for Tulsa Advocates for
the Rights
of Citizens with Disabilities (Tulsa ARC) will be the speaker for our
Nov. 18
meeting. Sherilyn, who leads a support group for mothers of children
with
disabilities, will discuss sibling issues, a subject near and dear
to the hearts of those
with more than one little blessing running around. Mark your
calendars for
Thurs., Nov. 18, 7:00 p.m. at Oklahoma Special Olympics, 6835 S. Canton.
September’s
Meeting Recap:
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Dr. Carol Sweet, was very informative. Dr.Sweet is an optometrist
who sees several
patients with DS, and she provided news,how-to’s and updates on vision
issues for people
with DS. We appreciate her giving of her time and knowledge.
It’s
the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
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You know that since it’s November, Christmas can’t be far behind. That
means it’s
time for one of the highlights of the DSAT social calendar, and this
year is no
exception. The annual Yuletide festivities are scheduled for
Saturday, Dec. 4,
3:00 p.m. at Whiteside Park Community Center (the north side of 41st
Street
between Harvard and Yale).
Kimberly Myers has been busy coordinating with the Junior League of
Tulsa
and our new adolescent liaison Idalia Hernandez (see related article)
and they’re
pulling out all of the stops. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make
an appearance, lovely
decorations will be in evidence and refreshments will be provided,
so don’t worry
about bringing anything...just come and enjoy.
As a special treat this year, the Junior League will have a photo station
set up.
If you would like a photo, either of your child(ren) or of your whole
family, please
dress accordingly and come sit for a photo courtesy of the Junior League.
We would like to thank Kim and the League for all of the work, so let’s
have a
great turnout to enjoy this gift of the season. See you there!
Lights!
Camera! Calendar!
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Incredible but true - we are beginning work on the 2001 DSAT Calendar!
Les
Petersen has again graciously agreed to donate his time and talents
(and what
considerable talents!) to the project, so we know it’ll be another
success. We want
to be able to capture shots throughout the year (i.e. Christmas, snow,
etc.) rather
than try to recreate them in May (Theresa McFall knows what we’re talking
about
here!). So...we’re on the lookout for models and subjects to
be considered for the
2001 calendar. What are we looking for? Any
infant, child, teenager, young
adult or adult with Down syndrome in the NE Oklahoma area. Membership
in
DSAT is a bonus (but not an absolute). Attached you’ll find a
profile sheet that
must be filled out. A picture or color copy of a picture must
be included and the
whole works must be postmarked by Dec. 5 to be considered for the 2001
calendar.
There will be no reminder calls and there will be no exceptions.
So
remember...if you want your kiddo or family member with DS to have
that
fabulous face featured in DSAT 2001 - SEND IN YOUR PROFILE BY
DECEMBER 5! (No profile - no consideration!) If you have
any questions
regarding profiles, please call Kim Wofford at 622-6906 or Lynette
Lambert at
918-682-6634.
Mail profiles to: DSAT
PO Box 54877
Tulsa, OK 74155
You can turn in profiles at the November meeting. Extra profile
sheets will be
available at that time. MARK YOUR CALENDAR! (That’s our
favorite stock
newsletter phrase!) Note: Our calendars are in all
21 Med-X and Drug Mart
stores, so stop in and check them out (and buy a few things).
Let’s patronize our
sponsors!
DS
Awareness Events Highlight October
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October is designated as Down Syndrome Awareness Month by several national
organizations, and in keeping with the effort, our local group did
its part to spread
the word. We scored some good print and broadcast coverage this
year, thanks to
hard work by several folks. Feature stories appeared in the TULSA
WORLD,
Community WORLD and the Cushing, Drumright and Skiatook newspapers.
On
the TV scene, Lynette Lambert and daughter Alaine, Lori Blankenship
and son
Will, Kim Wofford and Tracey Wilson all got up before dawn (literally!)
to make
appearances on Channel 8’s “Good Morning Oklahoma,” and KOTV’s
“6 in the
Morning” programs. (We’ll have copies and tapes at the next meeting
for
everyone to see.)
It’s not too early to think about how to increase our coverage
for next year’s
event. Local newspapers are a great place to start, and it’s
good to make contacts
at radio and television stations. The more publicity we are able
to generate, the
more families with a member with DS we’ll be able to reach.
Fall
Festival Recap!
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When the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plain...
It’s hard to get a hot air balloon off the ground. The DSAT Balloon
event on Oct. 23
was a lot of fun, but unfortunately the stiff breeze blowing most of
the day kept the
balloons grounded. We did have a glow on Friday night and Wil
LaPointe flew into the
field on Saturday morning, but the tethered rides for the afternoon
got “weathered out.”
Fortunately, there were still a lot of activities going on, so a good
time was had by all
those who came out.
Wil (the consummate entertainer) did set up a non-flying balloon for
the kids to explore
and pulled out a giant nylon sheet that was a treat to run under.
Tracey Wilson (the BBQ
king and birthday guy) grilled a mean brisket, along with some chicken
and sausage, a few
cabbages (you’ll have to ask him how) and some big pans of beans.
A big plate of all that
and some of Tracey’s birthday cake made for some good eating.
A big thanks is due to several folks including Wil and Tracey.
The Broken Arrow
Assembly of God generously donated use of the field (and their porta-potty!),
Kim
Wofford lent a hand on several fronts, and Daughn and Karen Baker (a.k.a.
Tim’s parents)
graciously donated all of the meat for the party. Gary Wilson
brought out the bluegrass
band and lent us the wonderful party tent and Shelly Wilson kept Tracey
supplied with
camping equipment and moral support. A tip of the hat to all.
Other
October Highlights
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(It was a busy month!) On Oct. 16, Borders bookstore on 21st
Street was the site of a
fund-raiser for DSAT. The store donated 15% of all sales to DSAT
when customers
presented a special certificate or mentioned DSAT at the time of the
sale. Kim Wofford
reports that final figures are not in yet, so she’ll keep us posted.
Watch this space for
details.
And while the benefit was in progress, Kim and Lynette Lambert, with
Nathan and
Alaine in tow, headed for Oklahoma City to participate in the Buddy
Walk to raise
awareness of DS and to serve as an organizing rally to start an OKC
DS group. It goes
without saying that they also packed along a box of DSAT 2000 calendars
to sell, and also
donated one as a door prize during the event. Kim and Lynette
report good news, noting
that OKC has a great group of folks that are getting organized.
“Let’s help in any way we
can,” Kim asks, so don’t be surprised if you get a call in the future.
The Little Light House held their annual “Laps for Little Ones” and
Mini-Laps in October.
DSAT was well represented by kids and parents alike. This is
a big event every fall, but
they need volunteers year round. Give them a call at 664-6746
for more info.
Last month also saw the first “Mom’s Night Out” for DSAT mothers (and
you know
who you are!). A good time was had by all, as the evening included
bunco (we can’t say if
money exchanged hands - this is a family publication), a lot of laughs
and, of course, food.
As moms, it was nice to get to know each other a little better and
bond. Support is in
good supply at these events, so makes plans to attend the next one
(see note following).
Rebecca Reifsteck was the hostess and provided the biggest hit of the
party - baked
fudge! A general round of thanks for her hospitality. The
next get-together will be in
January at Kim Wofford’s house, Friday, January 14th, time is TBA.
So don’t forget to
(say it in unison) MARK YOUR CALENDARS! (A DSAT 2000 Calendar,
of course!)
New
Outreach for Adults and Teens with DS
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One of the concerns of DSAT is making sure the organization meets the
needs of the
entire age range of people with Down syndrome. We are always
looking for input from
all of our members, particularly on lifespan issues. To that
end, we’re please to announce
that Idalia Hernandez has volunteered to serve as the Adult/Adolescent
Outreach
Coordinator. Idalia is the mother of a 15-year-old son
with DS, so she’s experienced in
the issues facing families as their loved one with DS grows up.
She’s come on board to
help us address subjects that some of the teens and adults are dealing
with, so feel to
contact her with your ideas, concerns or suggestions.
Idalia is already hard at work developing a list of those with
adult and adolescent
family members so DSAT can develop more programs. Give her a
call at 742-3455.
Valentine
Dance 2000!
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Get ready to cut a rug! We’re in the preliminary stages of a
Valentine Dance for Feb. 2000. We need a few volunteers to help
on a committee to set
up this event, which will include all young adults with developmental
disabilities. Once
again - call Idalia if you can be and would like to be involved.
Now’s the time to put your
heart into it (a little Valentine humor to get you in the spirit of
things).
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