Tag: "share some good stuff"

A special baseball game at Yankee Stadium

I found a terrific story this week that I want to share. Recently the Bronx NY Little League Challenger baseball team and the New Jersey District 8 Challenger baseball team from Newark got a once in a life time opportunity. They were given the chance to play an exhibition game in Yankee Stadium during MLB All Star Week. Both teams had 14 players for the one inning game. Each team got a chance at bat and to play defense. What a terrific opportunity to have some fun and make a terrific memory. There’s a nice piece of video up on the NBC website.

Challenger leagues are sports leagues for children with special needs or disabilities. My 9 year old son has participated in several Challenger events in our town over the years, and I can’t think of a program more worthwhile. Children can be paired with buddies if needed, and every child gets a chance to play in the game. Challenger sports are a wonderful opportunity for these children to participate in sports with other children and have some fun no matter what their abilities may be.

Jul 19, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Best Day offers special needs kids an opportunity to have their best day

Time to Share Some Good Stuff!

The good news that I found this week and want to share is taking place in Sea Bright, NJ which is not far from me, about a half an hour away. The nonprofit organization called the Best Day Foundation has announced that it is holding a two day beach camp especially for special needs children. To some that might not sound like a big deal, but for many of these children it’s the first time they’ll ever get to be on the beach or in the water.
The two day camp will be held July 19-20 at Monmouth County’s 7 Presidents Oceanfront Park. Planned activities include a marine safety demonstration, stretching, sand obstacle course, body boarding, kayaking, tandem surfing, a hot lunch, and an awards ceremony. Registration must be done on the Best Day Foundation website by clicking the Get Involved - Participate link.

The Best Day Foundation’s mission is to provide “safe, life-changing beach days to children with special needs, regardless of their challenges.”  The Foundation set up it’s first chapter here in Sea Bright, NJ which is in Monmouth County. The Sea Bright chapter will be run by Alexis Leaman, a special education teacher, and Lake Downham, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and life-long surfer, both of whom reside in the area.

If you want to get an idea what Best Day is all about you’ve got to watch the video. It brought tears to my eyes to see what these people are doing for the kids. Equipment was donated by Ride A Wave. A starter crew of twelve volunteers from Ride A Wave is coming in from California (most at their own expense) to help man the events and train the rest of the volunteers. Area residents are encouraged to volunteer by going to the Best Day website and clicking on the Get Involved - Volunteer link. If you aren’t in the area but would like to help you can make a donation on the website. These programs are free for all special needs children and they aren’t cheap to keep going.

This is by far the best news I’ve heard today. I think it’s awesome what Best Day is trying to do here. I hope the first beach day is a huge success and the kids have a lot of fun.  I hope the time at the beach does turn out to be “the best day” for all of the families.

Jul 11, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Teenager taking a special plunge

I had tears in my eyes when I read this, so I’m sending it over to Skeet for Share Some Good Stuff. Don’t worry, they were good tears. As mentioned on my Home and Vacation blog a while back, there are annual winter ocean plunges in New Jersey that help raise much needed funds for the Special Olympics of New Jersey. Today I read an article from the New Jersey Herald that told the story of a fifteen year old girl, Stephanie Fox,  that will be participating in the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Bear Plunge for the fifth year. You may be wondering why I think that’s great. See, a person can’t just go over there and get in. Each participant must raise a minimum of $100.00 to participate. The goal for this year’s event is $700,000. Stephanie has her own personal goal of $2,000 and participates because she believes it is for a good cause. Her belief is so right, and she obviously learned something about values and compassion from her parents because she first decided to participate because her father does. Spending time with the son of one of her teachers fueled her desire to contribute and raise money. The article concludes by mentioning that Stephanie has begun considering teaching special education students as a career, stating “I really enjoy working with kids who have Down syndrome because they are always happy and fun to be with”. What a kid! Her parents must be very proud. I wish for more youths to have such a positive and caring attitude.

Feb 14, 2008 | 7 comments | View Post

Who remembers The Velveteen Rabbit?

Who remembers the book The Velveteen Rabbit? Maybe you remember reading it to your kids. Maybe you remember someone reading it to you. I’m sure that there are as many people that know about it as there are people that don’t know about it. Turns out, if you’re looking for a great children’s book then now is the perfect time for you to hear this news. I’m so excited about this that I’m submitting it to a weekly roundup of feel good news stories called “Share Some Good Stuff”, hosted at Skeet’s Stuff.

A followup book to the popular Velveteen Rabbit has been released. The title is The Further Adventures of The Velveteen Rabbit. This second book got it’s start when R.W. Elliott expanded on original author Margery Williams’ work by writing for his daughter. This second book will not only contain the new adventures, but it also contains the first book. The awesome thing about this news, which was just announced today, is that for every copy of the book The Further Adventures of the Velveteen Rabbit purchased $1 will be donated to Down Syndrome research. I have a son with Down Syndrome, so I always appreciate seeing stuff like this.

The Velveteen Rabbit’s Further Adventures (ISBN 978-1-60264-062-7) will be available online direct as well as available by order to bookstores. I’m definitely ordering one.

Feb 07, 2008 | 5 comments | View Post

A special athlete

I’m submitting this to Skeet’s Share Some Good Stuff.

He may be a one of a kind high school athlete. He goes to high school in Cherry Hill, a little over an hour away from me. He letters in two varsity sports, basketball and golf. He has Down Syndrome. His name is Brad, and he recently scored a three pointer during a high school basketball game that drew thunderous applause from both teams and fans. As I recently read this NJ.com news story online, it brought tears of joy to my eyes. Why? It is always touching to read stories where someone with a disability is accepted for who they are, but it thrills me when stories like this receive press coverage. More of society needs to become more accepting and compassionate.

Brad not only goes to school and participates in extracurricular activities, but he also holds down two part time jobs. Brad’s parents give much credit to his coach and fellow students for showing their support. And, just in case that’s not enough, there is more. Brad does some public speaking and he is a Special Olympics gold medal holder in golf, as well as having won many other medals as well.

I think it’s great to see this kind of news, and wanted to share it. If everyone who read it shared it with one other person, and each person kept sharing it with one other person, more people would certainly realize that every human being has value, can make a contribution, and has feelings. Then we will have made an important step towards breaking the cycle of ignorance. So please, help me share this good stuff.

Jan 31, 2008 | 4 comments | View Post

Good stuff, Jersey style

My pal Skeet writes Share Some Good Stuff, which is a weekly roundup of good news submitted by readers concerning events that happened in their area.

My good news for this weekstems from an article I read on the NJ Herald recently.

In Sussex County, about an hour and a half from here, a new combination training, work program and business is opening in January. It’s being touted as a social entrepreneurial program and it’s called Arthur and Friends. Wendie Blanchard was inspired to begin this endeavor because of something her nephew Arthur said. It all began with a conversation about work, job satisfaction and dreams. Now before I go further, you should know that Arthur has Down Syndrome. In the conversation, Arthur told his aunt that he wasn’t happy with his work. He asked his aunt about her dream job and upon hearing her answer asked her why she didn’t do it because she could make choices about matters such as these where he had no choice. Wendie Blanchard was so touched that she wrote a business plan and after receiving support from the Department of Labor and the Northwest New Jersey Community Action Program and getting a grant,  Arthur and Friends was born.

Arthur and Friends will provide business and employment training to disabled adults. Participants will be learning the many aspects of business, in this case hydroponic farming. It is the first program of its kind in the county. The program has been so well received that Wendie Blanchard is optimistic with continued growth it could become a state wide or nationwide model to provide vocational services for the disabled.

Congratulations Wendie Blanchard, for fulfilling your dream and caring about others whose feelings, dreams and self worth are frequently dismissed. I hope you and Arthur both enjoy the new experience, and that it is wildly successful. Good luck!

Dec 27, 2007 | 2 comments | View Post

Spreading some more Jersey sunshine

I read as many articles as I can that relate to Down Syndrome because my eight year old has Down Syndrome. I’m always on the look out for a new health, current events or human interest story. I like to share what I find because the world needs to realize that people with Down Syndrome are people too, and that they have dreams, wishes and desires, and deserve to be as much a part of the community as anyone else.

In October, one Montclair, New Jersey resident had great success at the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Shanghai, China. Emily Srebro is a seventeen year old high school junior that has Down Syndrome. Emily captured the gold medal in the floor exercises. But that’s not all. She also earned silver medals for all around performance, uneven bars, and vaulting, and a bronze for balance beam, thereby winning medals in five separate gymnastics events. Emily considers floor exercises her favorite, as well as her strongest event. She said she was thrilled to win so many medals. She dedicates every performance to her late father.

7,500 athletes representing more than 150 countries were at the competition. Team USA was four hundred members strong. Fourteen of the athletes were from New Jersey.

Congratulations Emily! Congratulations to all of the athletes!

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Nov 06, 2007 | 1 comment | View Post
Page 1 of 11