| President's
Message:
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For those of you who don’t know, our year 2000 calendar, “Sharing Our Joy” has been printed and is now available for purchase. These calendars have been really well received in the community and throughout the area. We could use all the help we can get in promoting and selling the calendars as our community awareness and fund raising project. Calendars are available from any member of the calendar committee and of course at each meeting. It has been an honor and a joy working with those involved in bringing this project to fruition. There were many moments of frustration and uncertainty, but we kept our goal of “Sharing Our Joy” in mind. It is our hope that money raised with this project will secure a future operating budget for several years as well as provide seed money for other events. It has already sparked an event in October, which, by the way, is designated Down Syndrome Awareness Month. The event that I am speaking of is our own DSAT Balloon Festival. That’s right, our own BALLOON FESTIVAL. Wil LaPointe, whom many of you know and a member of DSAT, is organizing the event to be held on October 23, which also just happens to be my birthday. I believe we are planning on quite the festival, with BBQ, music, games for the kids and of course, the balloons. Be sure and check for more information later in the newsletter. Please keep in mind that the organization is first and foremost a support organization for parents and families of people with DS. We want to encourage those wanting or desiring support in any way to contact any of the officers concerning your situation. Our children with DS are a little bit different, but a lot the same. In the old West, there were three types of tickets for a stagecoach ride. A first-class ticket let the passenger remain seated during the entire trip, even if the coach was stuck or broke a wheel. A second-class ticket holder had to get off the coach and watch the other people fix the problem. A third-class ticket meant you had to get out and push or help lift to fix a broken wheel or do whatever was needed. Obviously, a third class ticket was much less expensive that a first-class seat. Some people think life has given them a first-class ticket. They insist upon being catered to, waited upon and pampered. Everything must go their way. Second-class folks enjoy the ride until problems occur, which turn them into detached spectators. I am grateful for that third group of people, who get out and push when the going gets tough. We get there better when everyone does his or her part. (Reprinted from “Perceptions - Observations on Everyday Life” by
Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church, Tulsa,
OK)
See
You In September...
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So it’s back to homework, new crayons, backpacks, and school checkups. In that light, our speaker for the Sept. 16 meeting is Dr. Carol Sweet, pediatric ophthalmologist. She’ll address vision issues in kids with DS, so mark your calendars for 7:00 p.m., Special Olympics, 6835 S. Canton. Borders
Bookstore Benefit Day
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We can distribute certificates to anyone we wish up to that day, so feel free to make copies of the attached form. Please note, however, that WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DISTRIBUTE THEM ANYWHERE ON OR NEAR THE PREMISES ON THE DAY OF THE BENEFIT, OCT. 16. August
Recap and Remaining Year's Events
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Molly is also working on a basketball leagues in conjunction with the
Broken Arrow Boys & Girls Club. For more information on baseball
or basketball teams, contact Molly at 357-5012.
Oct. 23 - DSAT Balloon Festival
Conferences,
Calendars, Connections
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And on the calendar selling front - DSAT will have a booth at the Broken Arrow Arts & Crafts Fair on Sept. 18 & 19. We need volunteers, so please note...it’s in an air-conditioned building (unlike Gatesway) with much shorter hours...AND NO DUST! It’s also a great opportunity to tell the community about our kids, so please call Jayne Smith at (918) 683-2204 and sign up. DSAT thanks you! As noted briefly above, we were represented at the Gatesway Balloon Festival with a booth for our calendar sales. The balloons weren’t the only things producing hot air - the temperature was 100+. It was dusty, and sales weren’t quite as vigorous as we hoped, but the good news is that we met a lot of nice people and 18 families volunteered to work. That’s a great turnout - no one thought it could be done, but we did it. A round of applause for those who braved the heat for the cause. We won’t be at Gatesway next year, but we hope to use our valuable family force in other community projects. THANKS AGAIN! And in related news: One of the needs that came to light at the National conference was the lack of a DS group in the Oklahoma City area. We would like to hook up anyone who is interested in the central region. Please give Kim Wofford a call at (918) 622-6906, OR (even better) E-mail her at woffordnate@webzone.net. Let’s try to get everyone who’s interested connected. There’s strength in numbers, particularly when it comes to contacting elected officials about services for people with disabilities, and as OKC is the hub for state decisions, a strong presence there would help everyone. Let’s let our voice be heard. Sharing
Our Joy
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This month, we’re featuring Nathan Wofford, the son of John and Kim
Wofford.)
Nathan is now 2 1/2 years old and as proud parents we could fill an entire newsletter with his accomplishments, but we have scaled it down to some of the highlights. Nathan is walking and loves to kick a ball. He is working on stepping up and down stairs by himself. He now understands most of what we say and is saying many words. His favorite word right now is “ICE” and when he says it, he gets it...so our icemaker is working overtime. Nathan began preschool last year and was the first child with special needs admitted to the school. He was welcomed and accepted immediately. He has just begun his second year of preschool and even though he is somewhat reserved, he is beginning to make friends. Nathan is very healthy with few medical problems. He has had trouble with his tear ducts and is on his second set of ear tubes. He has had five surgeries in his short life but they pale in comparison to what many of his friends have had to endure. Nathan loves books (especially ones on astronomy), playing outside and brushing his teeth. His two favorite things, besides mommy and daddy, are Pringles Sour Cream and Onion Chips and BARNEY! These are our secret weapons. Nathan amazes and amuses us every day and we are blessed to have him. We would be remiss if we didn’t add what an important part of our lives the DSAT family has become. We went to our first meeting when Nathan was 6 weeks old. We felt at home from the beginning and formed many friendships that I know will be lifelong, for us as well as Nathan. There are so many generous people who helped us celebrate the extra chromosome. Our lives are much richer for having met all of you. We hope to give back to those new parents that come after us all that has been given to us. We now value the simple things and cheer the small steps much more than
we would have, had Nathan not had Down Syndrome. Nathan’s gift is
in just being. He is valued and cherished not for what he does now
or what he will do but just because he is.
Want to share your joy? It’s easy! Profile that special
kid or adult with DS in your life and contact Marilyn LaPointe at 371-2279
or E-mail ndskysbal@aol.com.
You, too, can amaze your friends and loved ones and confound your enemies
- be featured in the DSAT newsletter.
Portrait
Certificate:
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For $25, you can receive a certificate good for a DSAT Year 2000 Calendar, a free sitting at Les’ studio and an 8x10 photo. If you’ve seen the calendar, you know the quality of Les’ work, so this is a deal not to be missed! Proceeds will help the group, and you get a great gift for yourself or someone you love (or just really, really like). Contact (who else) Kim Wofford at 622-6906 to order your certificate today. Support
Your Local Calendar Sponsors
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Blessed
Events
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Toney and Laura Newman welcome a little girl named Emily. Big sister Ann welcomes her as well. Kerry and Lori Blakenship have added a little girl they’ve dubbed Kennedy. Big sister and brother, Lindsey and Will respectively, are waiting to see if they’re as happy about it as Mom and Dad. Alan and Angie Shawll celebrate the birth of their first baby, Franklin. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers as Franklin required heart surgery in his first month of life. In related news, Molly Myers, best known as half of the February calendar girls, recently underwent surgery as well. She’s recovering well, and was moved out of the ICU in record time. Tim Baker, also a red-headed wonder, faced surgery recently, too. Word is that Tim is doing well and should be home perhaps by the time you read this. Congratulations and best wishes to all of our families with new additions and recoveries ahead. If we’ve missed anyone and you’d like to get the word out about your new baby or any other development, contact Marilyn LaPointe or (who else) Kim Wofford. Balloon
Festival! IT’S A GAS
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That’s just one of the sights planned for the Oct. 22 and 23 DSAT Hot Air Balloon Festival to be held at the Greenway industrial Park in Broken Arrow. October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and (as if we needed a reason to celebrate) the 23rd of the month is our esteemed president’s birthday. It also seemed like a good time to push calendar sales, so the result is a hot-air balloon extravaganza. There will be lots of activities on the ground, as well as food and fun. Plans call for several balloons to be in attendance, with tethered rides being offered to the public and proceeds benefiting DSAT. Things are still in the planning stage, but should be firmed up quickly so that we can get the word out. It’ll be a fun way to raise awareness and, we hope, some money for the group, and well as letting even more of the public see and buy our calendar. So circle Oct.22- 23 on your calendar and look for more news to come. We also want to especially invite families from the OKC area to make this event. It would be a great time to connect with Tulsa families and to get the wheels turning for a DS organization in the southern and central parts of Oklahoma. Plus, it’ll just be fun! Lapping
It Up
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On September 25 (that’s a Saturday) at 10:00 a.m., the Mini-Laps is scheduled, and on October 9th at 9:00 a.m., the well-known Laps for Little Ones is planned. Please call the Little Lighthouse at 664-6746 for more information on how you can be involved. Place Your Order Now Top of Page If for some amazing reason, you haven’t gotten a copy of the new, hot-off-the-presses DSAT Year 2000 Calendar, then here is another chance. As noted as many as times as we could without being too obvious, these calendars make great gifts and will be a great way to start off a new millennium. Get yours today! Send $12.00 for each calendar ordered to: DSAT
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| President:
Tracey Wilson (918) 628-1872 or (918) 488-4060 224-8171 Top of Page Fax (918) 663-1609 E-mail Tracey Wilson Vice President: Kim Wofford (918) 622-6906 Kim's E-mail Secretary:
Treasurer:
Newsletter:
Calendar Committee:
Scholoarship/Library Committee
Party Planner
General Needs Assistants
Web Master
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