Fall 2013 Newsletter - Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana

VOICE
Down
Syndrome
Association
of Acadiana,
Inc.
DSAA’S 9th Annual Buddy Walk
In This Issue
Buddy Walk
NDSC Convention
DSAA Annual Picnic
Art Camp
Dining With DSAA
Birthday Greetings
BW Registration Form
Welcome to Sherry
Upcoming Events
Publishing Information
Buddy Walk Teams
Board Members
Mission
Statement
The mission of the
Down Syndrome
Association of Acadiana
(DSAA), a non-profit
organization, is to
provide information,
advocacy and support
concerning all aspects
of life for individuals with
Down syndrome, their
families, and our
community.
Hello! We hope you had a great summer and
everyone is ready for another fantastic school year.
DSAA has also re-energized and is in full swing for
another great Buddy Walk. The 9th Annual Buddy
Walk will be held on Saturday, October 26th at Parc
International and will once again be loaded with fun,
food, music and activities throughout the morning.
Come and join us for a one-mile walk to show your
support for the advocacy and acceptance of all
individuals with Down syndrome. Following the
walk, everyone will enjoy delicious food, activities
and music by La Recolte Band. What a great day it
will be for all participants!
We attribute the success of the Buddy Walk to
our loyal supporters and generous sponsors. We
are so thankful for these sponsors who support our
mission with their charitable donations each year.
We are in need of additional sponsors at all levels
for this year’s Buddy Walk. Therefore, we would
appreciate your consideration in either becoming a
sponsor, or appealing to businesses for their
support. You may contact the DSAA office for
sponsor forms or additional information.
DSAA works year-round to offer resources to
families as well as educational programs and funfilled activities for individuals with Down syndrome.
Proceeds from the Buddy Walk fund these programs
and activities throughout the year.
Thanks again for all of your love and support.
We hope to see you on October 26th.
Marlene Venable
Buddy Walk Chairman
The dsaa VOICE
All in the Family
Every year DSAA
sponsors a member, up to a
family of four, to attend the
National Down Syndrome
Congress
Annual
Convention.
This July,
Cheryl, Jessica and Nicole
Morris were the recipients
of this phenomenal
opportunity. The NDSC also provides a Brothers and
Sisters component for siblings (middle school through
college) of individuals with Down syndrome. It’s an
opportunity for siblings to learn more about Down
syndrome and disability related issues; but it’s also a
time to be encouraged by new friends and ask those
tough questions in a supportive, educational
environment.
Jessica Morris participated in the
Brothers & Sisters Conference and learned something
she’d like to share.
“People First Language, ever heard of it? Hello, my
name is Jessica Morris and my sister's name is
Nicole. Together this summer, along with my mom we
were able to attend the NDSC in Denver,
Colorado. While attending the Siblings Conference I
met a lot of teenagers who have siblings with Down
syndrome and discovered we share a lot of the same
experiences within our families. People First Language
is an important thing I learned. It means to address the
person first, then their disability second. Instead of
saying, ‘This is my Down syndrome sister,’ I can say,
‘This is my sister, Nicole, who happens to have Down
syndrome.’ This is very important to children and adults
with Down syndrome because they understand the
importance of being recognized by their name.”
More about People First Language can be found
at http://miracleleaguewilm.org/wp -content/
uploads/2012/09/People-First-In-Brief.pdf .
Save the Date
Next year’s conference will be held
July 11 – 13, 2014 in Indianapolis, IN.
Fall 2013, Issue #27
September - October - November
DSAA, P.O. Box 81323, Lafayette, LA 70508, (337) 234-3109, www.dsaa.info
Page 1
DSAA Annual Picnic
Sun, smiles and laughter were abundant during our
annual picnic held on June 1 at Crawfish Aquatics. With
extended hours this year, members feasted on a variety of
foods and welcomed the opportunity to relax and
mingle. We extend a special thank you to Crawfish
Aquatics and its lifeguards; DJ Jamie Knight; Meche's
Donuts; Chick-Fil-A;
Everything Else is Cake; Dr.
Joseph Atkins; Morgan City
Rentals; G & J Land and
Marine Food Distributors; and
all the volunteers who helped
make the annual picnic a
great success!
Dining with DSAA
All friends, family and supporters of the Down Syndrome
Association of Acadiana are invited to participate in these
fundraising events on:
August 28th:
10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar
4415 Ambassador Caffery, Suite 700
Lafayette, LA 70508
Art Camp
Thanks to all who helped make the
2013 Art Camp a great success! It was
held on July 14 at Lafayette’s Painting With
a Twist, owned by Tammy Milam. Eighteen
artists with Down syndrome, ages six and
up, created their very own masterpiece entitled Aztec Sun.
The group of campers was led by Painting With a Twist
instructors Shelby King and Philip Custer, both of whom expressed a
heartfelt eagerness to work with our group of artists again. The
participants also captured the hearts of the many volunteers who
stayed at the campers’ side, offering assistance when needed.
KATC TV 3 also showed up to capture the event and shared it with
all of Acadiana during the evening news program.
At the completion of the Art Camp, many hugs were exchanged
among the participants, instructors and volunteers. All of the
campers proudly walked away, waving with one hand and holding
their masterpiece in the other.
Birthday Greetings !
October
September
October 29th:
4:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m.
Raising Cane’s
Pinhook Location
Tell them you love “DSAA” when you place your order. A
percentage of the proceeds will go to DSAA.
Thanks for your support!!
The dsaa VOICE
Kirsten Daniels
Janie Darby
Austin Brister
Drew Fuqua
Linzi Coleman
Isaiah Gardner
Alyssa Courville
Janie Girouard
Travis Delcambre
Maria Guillory
Marc Dupuy
Jacob Istre
Jack Juul
Breeonny McCoy
Trevor Moore
John Miguez
Linden Olivier
Jake Mouton
Tyler Pisani
Krystal Roosa
Nicholas Sinitiere
Hannah Schexnayder
Amelia Stelly
Ronnie Sims
Christopher Stephens
Jacob Sonnier
Kristen Tucker
Crystal Tullos
Seth Viator, II
Fall 2013, Issue #27
September - October - November
DSAA, P.O. Box 81323, Lafayette, LA 70508, (337) 234-3109, www.dsaa.info
November
Brent Adams, Jr.
Joshua Allen
Sloane Castille
Eric Coleman
Dynell Terry
Grace Gourdon
London Ledoux
Ashley Mannina
Hunter Noel
Nash Norwood
Sean Romero
John Sonnier, Jr.
Paris Zeno
Page 2
The dsaa VOICE
Fall 2013, Issue #27
September - October - November
DSAA, P.O. Box 81323, Lafayette, LA 70508, (337) 234-3109, www.dsaa.info
Page 3
dsaa
Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana
P O Box 81323
Lafayette, LA 70508
Dated Materials
Address Service Requested
NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Lafayette, LA
PERMIT NO. 103
PUBLISHING INFORMATION
DSAA, a non-profit
organization, publishes “The
DSAA Voice” quarterly for
members. Newsletter
submissions should be sent to
[email protected].
DSAA does not endorse or
recommend any therapy,
institution, treatment, etc. and
does not promote any particular
political, educational or religious
view. Inclusion of an item does
not necessarily imply promotion
or approval of its sponsors. The
editor reserves the right to make
corrections as appropriate and in
accord with established editorial
practice in material submit ted for
publication.
Get Into the TEAM Spirit
We want to extend a warm welcome to our new Office
Administrator, Sherry Romero. We are happy to have her join
our DSAA team! Feel free to send your greeting to Sherry at
[email protected] and welcome her aboard.
Get Ready for These Upcoming Events!
August 28th :
Dining with DSAA
Buffalo Wild Wings
4415 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy.
10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
October 29th:
Dining with DSAA
Raising Cane’s
Pinhook Location
4:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m.
October 4th:
The Little Gym
Donate to Play
4422 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy
4:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.
December 8th:
DSAA Christmas Party
City Club at River Ranch
2:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.
October 26th:
Buddy Walk
Parc International
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
DSAA’s
Founding Sponsor:
We hope you are as excited as we are
for the 9th Annual DSAA Buddy Walk.
It seems each year the teams grow in
number and creativity, and we are sure this year will be
no exception! Team registration has begun, so be sure
to log onto http://buddywalk.kintera.org/dsaa for more
information. We encourage all who are interested in
creating a Buddy Walk team to download the team
packet today. This packet contains all the information
you will need to create and organize your Buddy Walk
team. Be sure to start now and set a goal for your team!
For our veteran team captains, welcome back! For our
new team captains, welcome and thank you for your
commitment!
Board of Directors
Shauna Escott…...........................................President
Dawn Anslem………….........................Vice President
Trisha Darbonne….......................................Secretary
Stephanie Verret..........................................Treasurer
Molly Guidry...….......…..Public Relations Coordinator
Marlene Venable..................................Board Member
Pam McFarland…..…..….........Education Coordinator
Loretta Girouard….........................Social Coordinator
Celine Robin……................Development Coordinator
Mandy Dalton…...................................Board Member
Advisory Board
Paul Gibson – Chair
Dr. Scott Barrilleaux
Dr. Neal Gorman
Margaret Coady
Dr. Jude Bares
Lori Nunez
Tony Piontek – Self Advocate
Sherry Romero.............................Office Administrator
The dsaa VOICE
Fall 2013, Issue #27
September - October - November
DSAA, P.O. Box 81323, Lafayette, LA 70508, (337) 234-3109, www.dsaa.info
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