Putting Ability Putting Ability - The League for People with Disabilities

Putting Ability
Summer 2014
Fitness for EVERY Body!
The League for People with Disabilities is proud to announce the Grand
Re-Opening of the Baltimore region’s first inclusive gym and fitness center
designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities and anyone who
wants a great work out. Through the generous support of the Harry and
Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and in collaboration with the Y of Central
Maryland, the Hobbs Fitness Center at The League has recently undergone
major renovations to deliver the latest in exercise technology to the whole
community, regardless of ability!
Outfitted with premium, state-of-the-art Cybex fitness equipment, the
Wellness Center at The League provides a broad range of health and fitness
opportunities, in an inclusive environment that is respectful and supportive
of all ability levels, goals and challenges. “Exercise is an important part of a
healthy lifestyle,” says David Greenberg, CEO of The League, “and people
with disabilities typically lead less active lifestyles. We have made it a priority
to promote exercise and physical fitness to each of our participants as they
set their own goals for achieving a healthy mind, body and spirit.”
The League’s Wellness Center, which includes both the newly renovated
fitness center and our heated therapeutic pool and spa is utilized by participants from each of our programs and is open to physical therapy clients,
community rehabilitation programs, hospitals, group homes and the public!
We are currently offering
Zumba, Aqua Zumba,
Line Dancing, Aqua
Aerobics, Aqua Arthritis
classes and other
Call for Details
customized fitness
programs. Friendly and knowledgeable personal trainers are on staff to assist
individuals with their personal fitness goals. We are currently offering
discounts and incentives to new members! Please call (410) 323-0500 today!
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Message from Our Board Chair
Dear Friends of The League,
David A. Greenberg
For the past 5 years, I have had the
privilege to serve as a member of the
Board of Directors of The League for
People with Disabilities, and as the
newly elected Board Chair, I am excited
to share with you some of the great
strides The League is making to deliver
quality care to the community. I’ve seen
first hand the impact our wide range of
community services and programs have
in changing lives for the better, and we
are continually seeking out new ways to
develop and improve the resources we
are able to offer to our clients.
Thomas Ellis- Chair
M. John Meyer- Vice Chair
Alan Spero- Treasurer
Robert Zgorski- Secretary
We have recently completed our 2014
Strategic Plan, a multi-faceted team
approach to establishing the organizational goals and objectives that will steer
The League for the next three years, and a vision that will guide us through the year
2020. Our plan will focus on staff and leadership development, raising awareness for
our cause, maximizing programs to increase the number of people we are able to
serve, fostering board engagement in an effort to make the best use of the talents of
our board members, and increasing financial resources and sustainability.
There has been tremendous movement on new initiatives during the past year, and
as our organization approaches its 90th anniversary, one thing is extremely clear to
me – The League is poised to become the premier provider of disability services in
Maryland over the next decade. As we look to the year ahead, we will develop our
services to meet the needs of underserved populations, including transitional youth,
individuals with mental illness, veterans and seniors, while exploring new programming geared toward socialization, recreation and life enhancement, as well providing services to help the public navigate available programs.
I expect the coming year will be full of exciting efforts and opportunities for The
League and our participants! I would like to take this opportunity to welcome and
thank all new and existing members of The League community! I am humbled to
serve as Board Chair of this pioneering agency and look forward to sharing with you
our progress over the coming months.
Respectfully,
Carol Dodson
Renee Gordon
Ryan Gruver
Michael Hettleman
Janice Jackson
Suzanne Levin - Lapides
Arthur S. Mehlman
Sara Palmer
Terry Rakosky
Frank Settleman
Andy Slutkin
Arnold Wallenstein
Phil Wetzler
Walt Williams
Judy Zerwitz
The League for People with
Disabilities is committed
ering individuals the
opportunity to:
·gain independence
ciency
·improve quality of life
·Accountability
·Independence
·Mutual Respect
·Participant Focus
·Quality
Thomas Ellis
Chair, Board of Directors
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PaL Partnership-A Slam Dunk!
From Left: League CEO David Greenberg with PaL Partnership Members Matt Keiser, Matt Abrams,
Jason Gelblum, Alex Kalvar, Jeff Jordan, Drew Meyer, and Alex Wetzler. Front: League participant Adam Carpenter
Project FIT
Drew Meyer, a senior at The Park School of Baltimore,
wanted to find a way to become involved and make an
impact on his community. Inspired by the extraordinary
courage and determination of the people he met at The
League, he wanted to learn more about how he could
help make a difference in the lives of others. When Traci
Wright, the Park School’s Dean of Students, learned of
Drew’s volunteer ambitions, she was completely supportive and together they came up with ideas for community
initiatives involving Park students and League participants, incorporating some of Drew’s passions including
his love of sports and summer camp!
Throughout the fall and winter months, Drew and the
other young men who make up the partnership decided
to start fundraising for a cause very close to their hearts.
For the past 10 years, Drew and several of his friends from
Park have spent their summers at Camp Skylemar in
Naples, Maine. After learning of the Camping and Therapeutic Recreation Program at The League, it was their
hope to raise enough money to fund a Campership to
send one lucky young person to Camp Greentop, The
League’s accessible summer camp in the Catoctin Mountains. The PaL Partnership hosted several community
fundraisers including a bake sale, a raffle, an online
fundraiser and their signature event, “Shoot for the Top,” a
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament hosted by The Park School.
In the fall of last year, Drew and a group of students from
the Park School visited The League and spent an afternoon with participants creating their own NFL Fantasy
Football Draft. The event was so successful that the group
from Park School returned in the spring to choose NCAA
March Madness Brackets and host a “Sports Chat” with
participants. In November, the Park School Boys’ Choir,
The Vocal Cords, challenged the Medical Day Choir to a
“sing off,” where both choirs delighted participants and
staff with their amazing musical talents. “League participants were very into the friendly competition of the
Fantasy Football Tournament, the March Madness Brackets and the sing off, and the Park School kids seemed to
really enjoy getting involved with what we do here,” said
Lauren Mastrillo, Activities Director of the Adult Medical
Day Program. From this spark, the PaL Partnership
(Park and League), was born.
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On June 2, a group of participants, staff and volunteers
from The League joined CEO David Greenberg for an
assembly where Drew Meyer and the PaL Partnership
presented The League with a check in the amount of
$10,003.84 for Camp Scholarships! “The young men from
the PaL Partnership are some of our most passionate
advocates and volunteers,” says Michael Hettleman,
League Board Member and Development Committee
Chair. “Their hard work is not only raising awareness
about what The League does, it has shown our young
citizens that they can in fact make a difference in the lives
of others!” The money raised by the PaL Partnership will
fund more than 10 Camperships for summer 2015!
Thank you PaL Partnership!
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Honoring our Friends
"Friends" Committee member Cathy Fries-Sierra with
daughter Paola and husband Nano, a past League Board Chair
On the evening of April 26, 2014 The
League for People with Disabilities
proudly hosted our 15th Annual
Awards and Advocacy Dinner.
This year’s event, titled “Friends,”
honored the TKF Foundation,
Gordon Feinblatt, LLC and
more than 50 of our most
dedicated volunteers,
staff, advocates and
supporters, whose
contributions of time,
energy, talent, creativity and
financial resources help our mission
to thrive year after year.
Emcees Debra Weiner and Ricky Gnibus
with Tom Schniedwind
Our friends Fatou Diop and Amy Stafford,
guests of sponsor Amerigroup.
Annual Awards
and Advocacy Dinner
Erin Taylor, Manager of the Day Habilitation Program
and Artist Morris Worrell
From Left: Danielle Stager-Zoller and Michele Bresnick-Walsh,
attorneys from Gordon Feinblatt, LLC with guest Gina Ramsey
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2014 Annual Awards and Advocacy Dinner
Board member Andy Slutkin and wife
Amy, proud art auction winners!
Co--emceed by WBAL TV 11 News Anchor Debra
Weiner and League Ambassador Ricky Gnibus, the
program featured a performance by The League’s own
aspiring singer/songwriter, Adam Carpenter, who
captivated guests with his original work, “Friends for
Life.” The League debuted its Support Our Smiles
Campaign with a video meant to delight audiences
around the globe, and guests reveled in our first ever
participant art exhibit and silent auction.
Honorees Tom and Kitty Stoner with League Ambassador Jackie Jones
The event was a smashing
success and raised more than
$50,000 in critically needed
operating support for The
League! Thank you once again to
our sponsors, supporters, volunteers, staff and friends who made
the evening possible!
"Friends" Committee Co-Chairs,
Suzanne Levin-Lapides and Kris Meyer
Thank you
to our 2014
Corporate
Sponsors!
Diamond
Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Hope Health Systems
Rouge Fine Catering
Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White
The Southern Galvanizing Company
Platinum
Amerigroup
Susquehanna Bank
Gold
Chesapeake Contracting Group
Heritage Financial Consultants
Johns Hopkins Medicine
PNC
RCM&D
Silver
The League Board of Directors
Johns Hopkins Department of
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Merrill Lynch
The Meyer Family
Offit|Kurman
Mr. & Mrs. Jay Salkin
Soul Shack Caterers
Ellen & Hersh Stein
Drew Meyer (Founder, PaL Partnership) with supporters
David Kalvar and Alex Kalvar (PaL Partnership)
Dinner Sponsor
Baltimore Orthopaedics
& Rehabilitation
Downtown Sailing Center
Mr. & Mrs. David Greenberg
Mr. Tom Schniedwind
Media Sponsor
Take One Digital Media
WBAL TV 11
Print Sponsor
CPS Gumpert
Uptown Press
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Coming Soon....
One of the most
therapeutic aspects
of programs and
services offered at
The League is the
opportunity they
provide to socialize and build relationships with peers.
Among life’s greatest joys are the relationships we build
with friends, romantic partners, coworkers and family
members. But for many people with disabilities, socializing is difficult due to lack of transportation, inaccessibility, or attitudinal barriers. We hope to create more
opportunities for our participants to socialize, have fun
with their old friends, and meet new ones!
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This fall, The League will debut Club 1111, a newly
developed, exciting social-recreational venue, where
participants can broaden their social horizons. Club 1111
will operate one Saturday night per month and will offer
an inclusive adult night club experience for people with
disabilities in a completely accessible, supported and
safe environment. Club 1111 will be the first and only
“dance club” in the nation catering specifically to adults
with disabilities. The club, which will feature live bands,
DJs, multiple dance floors, karaoke, a tech lounge, food,
drinks and even a carnival midway, will be held at The
League’s main campus at 1111 E. Cold Spring Lane.
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Club 1111 ~ DanceEquality at The League!
“We want people with disabilities to have the same opportunities and
experiences that other people might take for granted,” says Tom Schniedwind, Vice President of Marketing and Development at The League. “We
simply want our participants to experience happiness and enjoy life! Our
hope is that giving them the chance to go out and socialize, meet new
people, experience a true adult atmosphere, and just have fun, will
empower them to reach their social potential, build confidence and take
huge steps toward self-actualization and living a full and satisfying life.”
Over the coming months, The League will be reaching out to other area
disability services providers to invite people from all around the region to
attend. “We hope to eventually be able extend this opportunity to anyone
with a disability,” says David Greenberg, CEO of The League.
In addition to creating new and rewarding experiences for the disability
community, this club will create tremendous marketing opportunities for
the Baltimore metropolitan business community. It will also give people
the chance to get involved, support a worthwhile cause, and feel proud to
live in an inclusive society! We are currently looking for volunteers! For
more information on Club 1111 or to volunteer your support, please call
(410) 323-0500.
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Putting Ability First
www.leagueforpeople.org
1111 East Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21239
If you would like to begin receiving
our e-newsle er, please email:
[email protected]
to be added to our
electronic mailing list.
Putting Ability First is printed, assembled and mailed by League Industries, and is
published by the Marketing and Development Department at The League for
People with Disabilit, Inc. All comments should be directed to (410)323-0500.
Most Admired CEO
The Daily Record has named
The League for People with
Disabilities President and
CEO, David Greenberg, as
one of Maryland’s Most
Admired CEOs for 2014!
The winners were selected
based on criteria including
strong leadership and vision,
competitiveness and innovation, community service,
financial performance and
growth, corporate leadership, board service and nonprofit
involvement. David will be honored along with the
state’s other top CEOs at a dinner this fall. Please join us in
congratulating David Greenberg on this prestigious award!
To learn more about including The League for People
with Disabilities in your estate plans, please call the
Office of Development at (410) 323-0500 x 367.
All inquires are confidential.
In partnership with the Harry
and Jeanette Weinberg
Foundation’s Summer Youth
Initiative, The League is
proud to unveil our newest
summer program, Project
FIT (Futures In Technology),
a service available to youth
with disabilities living in Baltimore City. Over the course
of a 9-week summer program, Project FIT offers a
unique combination of fitness and career exploration
activities to area high school students. This includes a
comprehensive career assessment aimed at helping
students identify vocational interests, aptitudes and
needs, with a particular focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) competencies and
a fitness assessment, conducted by a personal trainer
who works with each student to develop individualized
workout routines to be held in the newly renovated,
state-of-the-art Hobbs Fitness Center. Additionally,
students receive assistance with setting and achieving
weekly personal goals, and participate in field trips to
local employers in the STEM industries, where they learn
about various types of jobs and requirements within
these high growth industries.