ARK ADVOCATES - NEWS & VIEWS Volume 14, Issue 2 — Published Irregularly; ARK Advocates P.O. Box 3024; Dubuque, IA 52004-3024 October 2012 Web Site: www.arkadvocates.org; E-Mail: [email protected] THIRTEENTH ANNUAL WALK/FUN DAY 2012 By Barb Tubbs, Executive Secretary ARK Advocates Board of Directors is busy with plans for the 13th annual community event that helps to raise awareness for ARK Advocates - who we are, what we do, and the many services we provide to families of persons with disabilities. The goal of this community event ARK Advocates Walk/Fun Day is to pair up people with and without disabilities in order to have a fun day filled with walking, games, an inflatable slide and bounce house, food, and music. Come and join the fun on Saturday, November 17, 2012 at Loras College Graber Center - indoor track. Time of the event will be from 1:00 - 4:00 P.M. The purpose of the walk is: To create greater awareness in the Dubuque area for what ARK Advocates is and the types of services the ARK can provide to families; To provide a social event for our participants; To raise money that will be used to fund ongoing programming in addition to adding new programs and services for persons with disabilities. Participants are encouraged to pair up prior to the walk, but if a “partner” is needed you may also be paired up at the door. Our hope is to “fill the ARK” with laughter, happiness and funds to provide addi- tional programming and services in our community. We will be sending information to businesses in our area, schools, local membership, and family donors. If you are contacted, please take the time to fill out your donation form. Remember no donation is too small. We are also in need of volunteers to be greeters, help register participants, and be “partners”. If you know of a person(s) with disabilities, please invite them to come to the walk. In the past this has been a special day for all who have participated and we hope to continue this tradition. MARK YOUR CALENDARS now for this fun event! Again this year we are having prizes for the persons with the top three total pledge amounts. If you have any questions, want to make a contribution, or would like to get involved in any way, contact Barb Tubbs at the office voice mail 556-1785. Your participation in this event is greatly appreciated by all those we advocate for, their families, and caregivers. See you Saturday, November 17 at Loras College Graber Center!!!! Together we do make a difference. ARK Advocates - NEWS & VIEWS ARK Advocates ADVOCACY - RESPECT - KNOWLEDGE ADVOCATING FOR AND SERVING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES A COMMUNITY-WIDE WALK & FUN DAY LORAS COLLEGE - GRABER CENTER - INDOOR TRACK NOVEMBER 17, 2012 1:00 - 4:00 P.M. CALL 556-1785 FOR MORE INFORMATION Website: www.arkadvocates.org ARK Advocates - NEWS & VIEWS ARK Advocates Walk/Fun Day Sponsorship Form Yes! We would like to participate by contributing to the ARK Walk/ Fun Day to be held on November 17, 2012 from 1:00 - 4:00 P.M. at Loras College’s Graber Center – indoor track. We are enclosing the following contribution $ Sponsor's Name or Company: Address: Telephone: I would like to volunteer by: helping with promotions helping to pair walkers helping serve refreshments the day of the event helping register participants Donor Signature: Please forward this form along with your contribution to ARK Advocates at P.O. Box 3024, Dubuque, IA 52004-3024. All donations are tax deductible. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION Treasurer/Executive Secretary Signature: Date: ARK Advocates - NEWS & VIEWS ARK’s First Annual Roll & Sole-A-Thon a huge Success!!! By Aulanda Krause, President Four years ago, Peggy Roling came to the ARK Board with an idea of a lending library for our community. The Lending Library Committee worked diligently on a plan to start a local lending library. In order to make the plan a reality, funds needed to be raised to purchase much needed adaptive equipment for individuals with disabilities. Our first annual “Roll & Sole-A-Thon” was just the kick-off we needed. The event was held at the Mystique Community Ice Arena on April 21, 2012. We were blessed with beautiful weather and surrounded by wonderful people. During the event Peggy Roling and Kelly Heysinger, with the assistance from the Clarke COSPT, managed a physical therapy booth. Individuals with disabilities were able to try out equipment such as walkers and adaptive bikes provided by Rifton Equipment and Freedom Concepts. The Eastern Iowa Roller Derby Outlaws provided face painting and balloon creations. The DJ provided us with wonderful entertainment and great music, which filled us with energy. Free Flight led a 20 mile endurance ride for our avid bicycle riders, while the Community Policing Unit rode bicycles with the kids and led a bike ride along the river. Kids and families had a blast riding their bicycles and participating in the activities! This event would not have been possible without the support of private donations and sponsorships from the community. ARK Advocates Board of Directors wishes to thank the many sponsors and donors for helping us to surpass our goal of three adaptive bikes! To date, a total of $15,210.00 has been raised for the Adaptive Equipment Lending Library. The money raised was received from participants, grants and sponsorships. The funds will be used to purchase adaptive equipment, maintenance of equipment and the operational costs of the library. In addition to the cash donations we received a large equipment donation from Medline and Rifton companies as well as in kind offerings from many other local businesses. We are so grateful for the support received. The many volunteers helped make my first experience chairing a big event truly successful. I could not have managed without the dedication of the volunteers, Lending Library Committee Members, Clarke COSPT, Mystique Community Ice Arena, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Dubuque Community Policing Unit, Eastern Iowa Outlaws, Free Flight and countless community partners. Thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, supporters and participants for making our first annual “Roll & Sole-a-thon” a huge success! Please see the list of sponsors included in this newsletter and on our website www.arkadvocates.org 3 Top Raising Teams #1 Team Gassman #2 Team Fulton Steamers #3 Team Road Rath Roll & Sole-A-Thon 2012 Thank you to all of our Roll & Sole-A-Thon sponsors! Look No Hands: Unicycle: Two Wheeler: Big Wheel: Dubuque Advertiser Eide Bailly Great River Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Training Wheels: Body and Soul Briggs Family Dentistry The Finley Hospital Julie and Jeff Haufe Jim Kircher and Associates McCullough Creative Dubuque Bicycle Club Unified Therapy ARK Advocates - NEWS & VIEWS Dubuque Racing Association Awards Grant to ARK Advocates In May of 2012, the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA) awarded a grant of $ 9,996.00 to ARK Advocates. The grant funds were used to purchase adaptive equipment for the ARK Advocates Adaptive Equipment Lending Library. Equipment purchased through the grant included a large stander, adaptive stroller, large bath chair, medium tricycle, Go Talk, weighted blankets and vests, and noise reduction ear muffs. The DRA’s grant award has made it possible for ARK Advocates to purchase much needed adaptive equipment inventory for the library. All of the equipment purchased through the DRA Grant will be available for check-out through the lending library. The library will allow individuals with disabilities and their families access to bath chairs, adaptive chairs, standers, adaptive bicycles, gait trainers and many other items at no cost. To learn more about how you can donate to or check-out items from the ARK Advocates Adaptive Equipment Lending Library, please visit http://arkadvocates.org/support_lending.htm. Do you need a date night? A breather? A break or a just a nap?? Then stay tuned for our Fall Respite Event…date TBA!!! ARK Advocates will serve 3-12 year olds with disabilities in a safe, fun and engaging environment!!!! Have your children come join the activities and take a little time for yourself….you deserve it. ARK Advocates - NEWS & VIEWS Coming Soon: ARK’s Adaptive Equipment Lending Library By Aulanda, Krause, President ARK Advocates would like to thank our sponsors, volunteers and supporters for allowing us to make the lending library a reality. Often the cost of equipment prevents those with special needs the access they deserve. With your help, we have surpassed our goal and we are excited to give back to our community. We are in the process of working out all of the details to make the Adaptive Equipment Lending Library fully functional. Our hope is that it will be completed within the next month. The library will allow people with special needs and their families to “check out” needed equipment. Currently, we have equipment in the areas of mobility, sensory and communication. We will have available such things as bath chairs, adaptive bicycles, adaptive swing, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, as well as weighted blankets, and communication devices. Our hope is to continue to assess the needs of those in our community and grow the library to meet those needs. We will have pictures of equipment and the application forms on our website under the support section titled Lending Library. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many today and for years to come. www.arkadvocates.org We would like to send a special thank you to all of the Lending Library Committee members for all of their tireless work on this project.