Community Connections
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1st Annual Bowlympics
Saturday, May 30th
10:30am Registration, 11:00am Start Time
The Gary Plumery Foundation and The SUN Foundation invite you to join us in our first annual Bowlympics! This event will raise money to send Special Olympics Athletes to the World Games in Los Angeles. Teams of four bowlers will be paired with a Special Olympics Athlete to compete for great prizes. Located at the Brunswick Zone (Heather Ridge) – 2200 S. Peoria St. Aurora, CO 80014.
Cost: $50 per bowler.
**Attached in this issue: Bowlympics Flyer and the Global Down Syndrome Educational Series Flyer **
Please note that Tara will be out of the office May 4-15 without access to email. The weekly activities update during this time will come from l.aguilarvazquez@dpcolo.org.
May Events
May 1, Wellspring Community’s CLUB 21. 7pm – 9 pm. Cinco de Mayo Night! Join us for a fun social evening with your friends (18 years of age and older). We will have a photo booth, piñata's, a peso toss and a maraca making station. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is $6. Please RSVP toinfo@wearewellspring.org or call 303-660-1935. Club 21 is held the first and third Friday of every month at Wellspring Community, 826 Park Street in Castle Rock. Hope to see you there!
May 2, The 12th Annual Pathways Client Achievement Awards. Please join us as we honor seven extraordinary individuals and their accomplishments. We will be hosting both a silent and live auction, headlined by 20-year professional auctioneer, Adam Kevil. This year’s event will be held at the Denver Marriott Tech Center at 4900 S. Syracuse St, Denver, 80237. Sponsorship packages and tickets available now! For more information, or to purchase your tickets, please contact Jason Berney atj.berney@suncolo.org or 303-858-2092.
May 2, Colorado Fragile X goes Bowling. 9-11 am. Celebrity Lanes - 15755 E. Arapahoe Road Corner of Parker & Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80016. RSVP to Laura with how many adults and children by April 27, 2015. 303-770-2914 or frontrangeco@fragilex.org.
May 4, Free Webinars For Families and Providers: Early Childhood Series. Join PEAK Parent Center for a series of webinars for families and providers. Space is limited, so please register online and you will receive a confirmation email with directions for the webinar. 12-1 pm. Guest Presenter: Robin McWilliam, Siskin Children's Institute, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Routines-Based Model for Home Visits. Explore how families (and service providers) can make home visits effective, fun and relevant! To sign up online go to: www.peakparent.org/workshopsTrainings.asp or call PEAK Parent Center 719.531.9400 or 800.284.0251.
May 8, Bethesda Lutheran Communities: Parent’s Night Out. 4pm-8pm. Do you need a couple of hours to yourself? Time to get some things done around the house without interruption? Time to go on a date? If the answer is yes, then Bethesda has a plan for you…Parent’s Night Out! Your loved one is in for an evening of fun including food, activities including games, movies, arts & crafts, etc. Contact Kim Bunt-Lacko at 303-349-3680 for an application and further details. Cost: $35 (includes Staffing, Door-to-Door Transportation, Food, Activities) Location: Melick-Mayhew Day Program, Castle Rock. 680 Atchison Way, Suite 500 Castle Rock, CO 80109.
May 9, Aurora Strong Resilience Center Mother’s Day Celebration. 9am-12pm. Live entertainment, Food, and Festivity, FREE. Bring your Mom’s and tell your friends. Take the opportunity to honor our Mothers. Located at the Aurora Strong Resilience Center - 1298 Peoria Street.
May 9, Ability Connection Colorado’s 14th Annual Mother’s Tea. The theme this year is ‘Chocolate Therapy’! There is a champagne reception, complimentary portraits, a lovely brunch with a fashion show and an opportunity to learn more about the Statewide Family Services programs at Ability Connection Colorado (Parent to Parent of Colorado is one of these programs!). Although we are called The Mother’s Tea, in honor of the founding mothers of our organization, we welcome anyone (moms, dads, grandparents, foster parents, other caregivers) to attend and enjoy time together! This could be a wonderful gift to a special person in your life with Mother’s and Father’s Days coming up! Proceeds from the tea do benefit our programs and allow us to continue to support families in a number of different ways. Tickets are available now on the Ability Connection Colorado website at: www.tinyurl.com/MothersTea2015.
May 11, Free Webinars For Families and Providers: Early Childhood Series. Join PEAK Parent Center for a series of webinars for families and providers. Space is limited, so please register online and you will receive a confirmation email with directions for the webinar. 12-1 pm. Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Services. Explore various educational options available to children after age three and gain an understanding of the transition timeline, principles, and processes. To sign up online go to: www.peakparent.org/workshopsTrainings.asp or call PEAK Parent Center 719.531.9400 or 800.284.0251.
May 11, Kids Health Convening. 9am-12pm. Be an active part of creating solutions for kids’ health in Aurora and beyond! Presented by Aurora Health Access, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Tri-County Health Department, and Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access. Located at Children’s Hospital Colorado 13123 E. 16th Ave, Aurora 80045 (2nd floor, Mt. Princeton Room). RSVP at http://goo.gl/forms/H46NPFNzmf.
May 13, The Douglas County Early Childhood Council "The Raising of America" Screening and Expert Panel. 5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Join the Douglas County Early Childhood Council (DCECC) for a special Signature Episode screening (not yet shown on PBS) of The Raising of America. This hour-long episode interweaves the latest discoveries from neuroscience with stories of families and communities doing all they can to provide nurturing environments that babies and young children need to thrive. But too often individual efforts are hindered by social conditions that affect children's developmental trajectories. A panel of experts will be available following the screening to start a discussion about what initiatives and priorities might enable our children the opportunity for a strong start in Douglas County. Located at St. Luke's United Methodist Church (Fellowship Hall) 8817 South Broadway, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. Light dinner & POPCORN will be served! RSVP to Sandra.gregory@dcsdk12.org by May 11.
May 13, Global Down Syndrome Foundation Announces Be Beautiful, Be Yourself Model Auditions in Denver. 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Elaine Wolf Theatre Mizel Arts and Culture Center: 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver, CO 80246. The Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s 2015 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show will be Saturday, October 24th, in Denver, Colorado. We are looking for individuals with Down syndrome ages 7 and older who want to be models in the Fashion Show to come audition on Wednesday, May 13th! Auditions will be held from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Elaine Wolf Theatre at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. No experience is necessary, and we encourage everyone to audition for this unforgettable experience! Register today. The Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show is the primary fundraiser for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, benefiting clinical research, medical care and programs across the United States. Learn more about the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show. Be sure to spread the word about the model auditions! For any questions, email auditions@globaldownsyndrome.org. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you May 13th!
May 16, Sensory Friendly Family Tree Series: Fancy Nancy at The Lone Tree Arts Center. 4:00pm. Fancy Nancy and her friends Bree, Rhonda, Wanda, and Lionel are going to be performing in their very first show, “Deep Sea Dances.” Nancy is positive, that’s fancy for 100 percent sure, that she and Bree will be picked to be mermaids. When another girl wins the coveted role of the mermaid, Nancy is stuck playing a dreary, dull tree. Can Nancy bring fancy flair to her role, even though it isn’t the one she wanted? The Family Tree Series is designed for families and audiences of all ages to experience sensory friendly, relaxed performances together. Modifications will be made to this performance to make the show more accessible to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Purchase tickets by visiting www.lonetreeartscenter.org.
May 19 (and going through June 4) Unified Lacrosse Colorado Kick-Off Camp. Unified Lacrosse Colorado is the first program of its kind in Colorado. Developed by a group of teenagers who attend and play lacrosse at Cherry Creek High School, they believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to play lacrosse. At Unified Lacrosse Colorado, Athletes with disabilities will be paired up with Partner-Athletes. The partner-athletes will work alongside the athletes, teaching them the basics of lacrosse and inspiring them to exceed their potential in a noncompetitive environment. The first event is the "Kick-Off Camp." The cost of the Camp is FREE and open to boys and girls, ages 7 to 19 that have intellectual and/or physical disabilities. The Camp includes five sessions and will be held at South Suburban Sports Dome in Centennial Colorado located at 6959 S Peoria Street, Centennial, CO 80112. To register an athlete and to learn more information, please visit:www.unifiedlacrosse.com.
May 29 & 30, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series. JFK Partners has teamed up with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and Children’s Hospital to bring you a fantastic educational series where you will learn about mental wellness and physical wellness. Friday andSaturday from 9am-4pm. Located at the Marriott Denver Tech Center – 4900 S. Syracuse St. Denver, 80237. Cost: $15 per person per day. This series is for or Parents, Family Members, Caregivers, Physical Therapists, Social Workers & Other Professionals Interested in Mental and Physical Wellness for Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome. Seats are limited, sign up today!
May 30, 1st Annual Bowlympics hosted by The Gary Plumery Foundation and The SUN Foundation. 10:30am. The Gary Plumery Foundation and The SUN Foundation invite you to join us in our first annual Bowlympics! This event will raise money to send Special Olympics Athletes to the World Games in Los Angeles. Teams of four bowlers will be paired with a Special Olympics Athlete to compete for great prizes. Located at the Brunswick Zone (Heather Ridge) – 2200 S. Peoria St. Aurora, CO 80014. Cost: $50 per bowler. To register, contact Jason Berney at j.berney@suncolo.org or 303-858-2092.
June Events
June 5, SOCO Summer Games Begin! Opening Ceremonies will kick off the 2015 Summer Games Friday, June 5 with competition running through the weekend. The celebration, featuring a parade of athletes, LETR Torch Run, lighting of the cauldron and great entertainment will be held at Stocker Stadium Friday evening. The SOCO Summer Games - hosted by Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo., features Aquatics, Gymnastics, Powerlifiting, Soccer, and Track & Field. Additionally, the Games will feature a Young Athletes Skill Competition. For families with Young Athletes interested in participating, please contact Mandi DeWitt.
June 10-12, The NASDDDS New Pathways Conference. The NASDDDS is a professional organization representing the nation's agencies in 50 states and the District of Columbia that provide services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The NASDDDS meets annually, inviting experts, policy specialists, and NASDDDS members to share on topics of interest to the broader community. This conference presents "New Pathways" underway at the systems level as well as the service level as State I/DD systems are continually forging "New Pathways" to support people with I/DD and their families. The June conference is being held in Denver, June 10-12, 2015. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is sponsoring a total of 20 family members, professionally unaffiliated community advocates, and self-advocates to attend the conference. Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
June 10-14, Annual RESNA Conference in Denver. The annual RESNA conference, June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado, is a unique, multi-disciplinary gathering of assistive technology professionals from around the world. No other assistive technology conference connects professionals from across so many different AT and professional specialties. Whether you specialize in seating and mobility, communication, computer access, universal design, or new technologies - RESNA is the place where connections are made and conversations happen. On-line registration is now available for RESNA 2015. Click here for details.
June 13, Developmental Pathways Spanish Resource Fair. Join Developmental Pathways for our 3rd Annual Spanish Resource Fair. 10am – 1pm at the Developmental Pathways Aurora Office – 11111 E. Mississippi Ave in Aurora.
June 22-26, Dylan’s Down with the Arts Mixed Arts Camp. Enjoy a week-long camp with friends while sampling a variety of arts including: photography, painting, crafts, music, and movement. Open to individuals with or without special needs. Each participant will need a sack lunch and a water bottle each day. For more information please E-mail the program coordinator at kfletcher@parkeronline.org. Mon - Fri 10:00-3:00. Register here.
Save the Date
July 14 - 17, Colorado HorsePower Summer Camp. Ages 5-9. HorsePower is excited to offer summer camp for individuals with disabilities. This camp is Tuesdaythrough Friday, from 9am to 1pm. Campers will have the chance to learn about horses, participate in therapeutic riding activities, trail rides, arts & crafts, games and more! Please visit our website www.coloradohorsepower.org for more information. If you have questions or would like to reserve a spot, please contact us atinfo@coloradohorsepower.org or 720.863.4736.
July 21 - 24 Colorado HorsePower Summer Camp. Ages 10 & up HorsePower is excited to offer summer camp for individuals with disabilities. This camp isTuesday through Friday, from 9am to 1pm. Campers will have the chance to learn about horses, participate in therapeutic riding activities, trail rides, arts & crafts, games and more! Please visit our website www.coloradohorsepower.org for more information. If you have questions or would like to reserve a spot, please contact us at info@coloradohorsepower.org or 720.863.4736.
August 1, The Arc Arapahoe & Douglas Counties is Celebrating 60 Years! Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a spectacular performance by The Nacho Men! Meet us in Centennial Center Park located at 13050 E. Peakview Avenue, Centennial, CO 80112. Everyone is welcome, so please spread the word!! Bring family, bring friends, tell community leaders. We're excited to share this milestone with all of our friends. P.S. We have many volunteer opportunities, please contact Pam at pam@arc-ad.org or 303-220-9228 for more information.
Community Resources & Information
Highpointe Day Center Summer Teen Program. Register by May 1st and receive a 10% discount! Join Highpointe Day Center for a full-day social, recreation and enrichment program where participants will be able to make new friends, enjoy creative activities and athletic games, and access the community in meaningful and fun ways. Ages: 15-21. This program runs July 7 – August 1, Monday – Friday, 9am-3pm. Located at Highpointe Center: 7303 South Alton Way, Centennial. Tuition: Attend five days per week of a session: $1,500 ($375 week) Attend three days per week of a session: $900 ($225 week) Attend two days per week of a session: $600 ($150 week). Tuition includes all activity fees, community trips and a t-shirt. To sign up, contact Vanessa at 303-221-3222 or vgates@highpointecenters.org. To learn more about Highpointe Center, visit www.highpointecenters.org.
Young Athletes Clubhouse. Continuum of Colorado’s Special Programs Department teamed up with Special Olympics Colorado to start our brand new Young Athletes™ + Respite program (Clubhouse) for kids ages 2.5 to 7. Young Athletes is a unique sport and play program for children with intellectual disabilities. The focus is on fun activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Children ages 2.5 to 7 enjoy games and activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Young Athletes is an early introduction to sports and to the world of Special Olympics. The children learn new things, play and have lots of fun! In addition to Young Athletes, we are offering our Clubhouse program which includes games, recreational and skill-building activities, as well as light snacks. Family and friends are encouraged to register. Special Olympics Program will be the first hour. You are welcome to sign up for the first hour or the entire event. Dates: April 18, May 1, May 16, June 20, and June 26. To register call 303-214-3390.
Easter Seals Colorado YAY! Camp: Applications are now available. Easter Seals Colorado is proud to offer YAY! Camp, a day camp for children with and without disabilities (ages 6-18) in Arapahoe and Douglas Counties. Cost: $65/per day/camper, $75 for those needing one on one staffing. There is also a onetime registration fee of $25. Dates: Monday-Thursday, June 8 – July 30. Located at 8997 South Broadway Ave. in Highlands Ranch (Christ Lutheran Church). Times 8:30am – 4:00pmwith extended hours available. Activities include swimming, fishing, cookouts, local field trips, theme days, arts and crafts, and a lot more! For more information please contact Roman Krafczyk at 303-233-1666 x235 or romank@eastersealscolorado.org. Visit www.eastersealscolorado.org for more information.
The Rise School Preschool has openings for children with disabilities, ages 12 months to 2 years, for the 2015-2016 academic year (which begins on August 24, 2015.) The Rise School is an inclusive, therapeutic preschool for children with and without developmental disabilities. For more information, visit our web site at:www.risedenver.org, or call 303.7546.7473 to schedule a tour.
Megan’s Place Preschool: Now Pre-Enrolling for Fall 2015. Pre-school Learning Hours are from 1:00pm to 3:30pm (Tues. and Thurs.). Available After School Activities/Childcare Hours 3:30pm to 9:00pm (DAILY). Meeting the needs of ALL children including advanced, physically, and developmentally disabled learners. State Registered and Certified Teachers. Fully Licensed with multiple endorsements. Registration form can be found at http://www.megansplacellc.org/. For questions contact Kristin Smock at 303-881-4988 kristin@megansplacellc.org.
Register Today: Be Part of a Historic Moment - Colorado June 2015. A Flame of Hope will be lit in Athens, Greece and travel to the United States this summer. Three torches will travel from Washington, D.C. across our nation all the way to Los Angeles, California to kick off the Special Olympics World Games in July. The torch will be in Colorado June 24 through July 1. The Flame of Hope represents our passion that times change - that those with intellectual disabilities deserve equality, respect and opportunity - not tomorrow but today! YOU can participate as a walker, jogger, runner, rollerblader or cyclist while carrying the Flame of Hope. The cycle routes are 5 miles long and the other routes are 1/2 miles and you can reserve your spot for just $10, then raise or donate a minimum of $67 to secure your spot and be part of something that will be a memory of a lifetime. You can register as team of 15 for $1,000, $1,500 or $2,500. To register today, visit UnifiedRelay.org.
Get Up and Dance, Walk, Shout or Sing! New dates for AMC’s Sensory Friendly Films have been released! The program provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing! For dates, times, films, and locations click here.
