UCP of Will County 13th Annual Great Chef's Tasting A Great Success
More than 450 attendees sampled some of the area's best dishes from 21 establishments at UCP of Will County (now known as UCP of Illinois Prairieland) "Bakers Dozen" Chef Tasting at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
According to Samuel Mancuso, President and CEO, "This year's event was our most successful to date, raising a record $100,350. The Great Chef's Tasting event continues to raise the most money for UCP of Will County, all of our vendors wish to return and the number of vendors who wish to participate grows, year after year. The vendors firmly believe in the mission of United Cerebral Palsy. Other events that we host over the year don't even come close to this one in terms of the success we take away from it."
The event showcased the best chefs, caterers and restaurants in Chicago's southwest suburbs and included both a live and silent auction. Among the auction items was a dinner for eight prepared at the winner's home by Chef Fred Ferrara, a 42" flat panel TV, and an Elvis Presley "The King Rocks Hawaii" autographed album and picture. For a complete list of items, please visit the UCP of Will County Web site.
Special recognition goes to Chef Fred Ferrara of Joliet Junior College's nationally renown Culinary Arts Program who brought the "Taste" to UCP of Will County thirteen years ago. Jack Riley, owner of Cardinal Transport and long time leading philanthropist and volunteer for UCP of Will County was this year's recipient of "The Chef Fred Ferrara Award for Volunteerism."
National Van Builders/UCP Partnership to Offer Affiliate Discount Program
National Van Builders (National) is a full-service manufacturer of lift-equipped wheelchair vans, multi-passenger (shuttle) vans, commercial conversion vans and specialty vehicles. All of their products are custom-designed to customer specifications, including seat locations, lift location, raised roofs, raised doors, integrated steps and custom interior layouts.
In partnership with United Cerebral Palsy, National Van now offers a 7% discount off conversion pricing for any vehicles ordered for all UCP Affiliates.
National is a member of the "Ford Motor Pool," which allows the company to pass on chassis dealer pricing directly to customers, while allowing them to take advantage of all factory-offered rebates and incentives on Ford vehicles. National has consistently been ranked in Ford’s top three authorized mobility vehicle converters nationwide. The program's capabilities also allow National to build on GM or Sprinter (Freightliner/Dodge) chassis, in the event that Ford vehicles do not suit the customers' needs.
National received a pass rating of 97% as an "Active Participant in the Ford Truck Quality Program (FTQP). The FTQP program requires comprehensive engineering, documentation and management standards for all Active Participants. Certification is based on a detailed engineering analysis performed by Ford personnel. FTQP Active Participants are the only vehicle modifiers approved by Ford.
HBO's Autism: The Musical Helps Autism Awareness Month
From March 25th through April 27th, the HBO television networkwill air Autism: The Musical, a film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City that brings attention to the modern-day epidemic of autism and celebrates the value of the human spirit in overcoming any challenge.
The film introduces Neal, Lexi, Henry, Adam and Wyatt - five autistic kids who, along with their parents, take part in a groundbreaking theatrical workshop.
Inspired by her work with her own autistic son, Elaine Hall, an acting coach, created a musical that allows autistic children to express themselves creatively and interact socially. The result was the Miracle Project. Countering the bleak statistics regarding autism — one out of 150 children are diagnosed in the U.S. each year — she pledged to lead a group of autistic kids to defy expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical.
This film follows these children and their families over the course of six months as they overcome their diagnosis. The audience not only better understands the nature of autism, but celebrates the joyful spirit of each child. The New York Times writes, "what makes the film compelling is that the camera unflinchingly records the personal stories of... the parents." Further, Variety Magazine writes, "with diagnosed cases of the disease rapidly escalating in America throughout the last decade, this documentary's exploration of alternative methods of treatment seems opportune, not to mention downright joyous at times."
2008 Believable Hope Conference Update: UCP Goes Global
Global Participation in Life Without Limits
The addition of international affiliates to the UCP network has produced a wonderful opportunity to broaden the reach of the Life Without Limits initiative. Hear the global vision of our international organizations and their alliances that advance the participation of people with disabilities in every aspect of life across the globe. Learn about successful outreach efforts to third world countries and the positive, long-lasting effects. Life Without Limits is alive and growing momentum!
2008 Awards for Excellence Nominations
Only two weeks remain to submit your nominations for the 2008 UCP Awards for Excellence, to be presented at the 2008 Believable Hope Conference.
We want to hear about the great work being done in your area by community volunteers, businesses and civic partners, individuals with disabilities—and your affiliate. Your nominations make it possible for UCP to honor those who have made a strong and positive impact in the lives of people with disabilities. We’re looking for outstanding nominations of an exceptional organization or individual of superior achievement!
Register here for the 2008 Believable Hope Conference, sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy. For more information about the conference or awards, contact Terrie King at 800-872-5827.
Read Capitol Insider for an overview of the week's most important public policy events.
Announcements
» Workshop on Adult Cerebral Palsy and Aging co-sponsored by UCP of Michigan, in honor of Arnold Werner, M.D. who was a psychiatrist and professor at Michigan State University. He had cerebral palsy and encouraged research into issues adults with cerebral palsy encounter. When he passed away, Michigan State University chose to honor him with this workshop.(East Lansing Michigan, May 12, 2008).
» Webbytalents: A forum for exchange and sharing for all disabled people including videos and stories. Invitation membership only.
» Ouch! It's a disability thing: A Web site from the BBC that reflects the lives and experiences of disabled people. It is a virtual hub of communication — via podcasts, blogs, and message boards — as well as a great resource for news, information and digital media.
Tommy Hollenstein: Tracking Art New Mobility Magazine, 4/1/08 Tommy Hollenstein's artwork is colorful and chaotic yet infused with the optimism and transformative drama that define the Southern California experience. Tommy is a native Angelino ex-surfer boy who sports a mini-Mohawk bleach job and a tanned and mellow Valley boy manner. He's been getting lots of traction, so to speak, with his work. He paints by joystick — that is, with the tires of his power wheelchair — rolling through paint spilled on the floor, or with a dab of color coated on the tires to layer colors toward a unique, complex whole. He calls it a sort of "action painting."
Kansans with Disabilities Rally at State Capitol LJWorld.com, 3/28/08 As lawmakers start state budget negotiations, several hundred Kansans with disabilities rallied Thursday at the Capitol for expanded services.
A New Bicycle Built for Two: Engineering Students Design Bikes for People with Disabilities Tuscaloosa News, 3/26/08 The students got "real-life" engineering experience, said Beth Todd, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. The project continued the college's track record of helping the community, as they have with past projects done in conjunction with groups such as United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama and RISE.
JCC faculty member to make trek on stilts MLive.com, 3/26/08 Sauter, who has mild cerebral palsy, will stop by locations within communities to talk with people about the disability and United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan.
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