Our Stories is a quarterly ENewsletter that celebrates Easter Seals’ clients, and showcases how they and their supporters are making a difference.

Our Stories, Spring 2010

Our Stories, Winter 2009/10

Our Stories, Fall 2009

Our Stories, Summer 2009

Our Stories, Spring 2009

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Paul Scholefield prepares for the torch relay.

Easter Seals BC / The BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities is excited that past and present BC Easter Seals Campers were Torchbearers in 2010 Paralympics Torch Relay in Vancouver.

Paul Gauthier, past Easter Seals ‘Timmy’, Easter Seals Camper and gold medalist Paralympian was given the honour of being the first Paralympic Torchbearer to run the first leg of the 24 Hour Paralympics Torch Relay in downtown Vancouver. Paul was not the only Easter Seals Camper to participate in the 24 Hour Torch Relay.

Sarah Cheung, newly named Easter Seals Ambassador and Easter Seals Camper, also carried the torch down Robson Street in Vancouver. For Sarah, being a Paralympic Torchbearer was a proud accomplishment that she got to share with her friends, family and some of her counsellors from BC Easter Seals Camp Squamish.

Eighteen year old Easter Seal Camper and past Easter Seals Ambassador, Paul Scholfield also ran with the Paralympic torch. His mother, Alison Scholfield will always remember this as a “priceless experience” for Paul because it gave her son a newfound sense of confidence.

Best friends Grace Brulotte and Katie Gibbs, who attend Easter Seals Camp Winfield, had the opportunity to share their experience as Paralympic Torchbearers together. Their torches ‘kissed’ as they passed the flame to one another. They will always remember this unique experience and special day that they shared.

The BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities is proud of all our Paralympic Torchbearers; we hope that this experience will continue to empower them for years to come.

Colourful towels at Camp Easter Seal

On the shore of Little Manitou Lake, Saskatchewan lies Camp Easter Seal, a remarkable place full of smiles and laughter; a place where memories are made. The difference between this camp and others is that the campers who attend have disabilities.

Campers can enjoy picnic lunches, pontoon boat rides, swimming, pool-side barbecues, arts and crafts, horseback riding, and sports. All of these activities can be modified to accommodate varying abilities.

Camp Easter Seal has been providing experiences to children and adults with disabilities for nearly 60 years. As camper needs have changed, Camp Easter Seal has adapted in everything from ensuring that the entire camp is barrier free to addressing campers’ often complex medical requirements.

Written by the late Steven Elias, a young adult camper, these words capture the essence of Camp Easter Seal perfectly and offer a glimpse into the positive effect that it has on its campers:

We all struggle over the cold winter months
But we know when the summer hits we can come back to this beautiful and caring place
We wish we could just stay here and forget the world but we can’t
We must live forever in six days…

Twenty-six year old Curtis was born with cerebral palsy and requires significant assistance. Curtis desperately needed a hospital bed because his head needs to be lower then the rest of his body when he receives physiotherapy on his chest. The hospital bed makes life a comfortable as possible for Curtis with his sensitive health requirements.

Easter Seals Alberta is grateful for the partnership with the MHCF and appreciates the community support they receive to help those in need.

Sal Calderone poses in front of his Lithrone 28 Printer

While the results of the ninth annual Easter Seals Paper Egg campaign are not quite in, Sal Calderone can testify that the campaign did well.

Calderone is the proprietor of Three Star Printing, which has printed the Paper Egg materials since the campaign’s inception in 2001. Every year during the four weeks leading to Easter, participating retailers such as The Bargain! Shop, Lawtons Drugs, Sobeys Ontario and Price Chopper sell colourful Paper Eggs in support of Easter Seals programs and services.

A number of stores quite often call for more Paper Eggs because they sell out. Despite ordering thousands of Paper Eggs, some provincial Easter Seals organizations find they don’t have enough to meet with demand and turn to Calderone to send more.

Happily Calderone uses the latest technology to provide a quick turnaround while maintaining high quality.

“We are proud to have been chosen as part of the team to print for the Paper Egg campaign since the beginning,” says Calderone. “Its success over the years has brought greater quantities to its high demand and a closer relationship with Easter Seals.”

Calderone is also able to provide affordable rates while enabling Easter Seals provincial offices to customize their materials and ensure that they are Forest Steward Council (FSC) Certified.

Easter Seals proudly introduced its new Paper Egg this year, which featured a three dimensional chick in a wheelchair. The creative, which was piloted by Easter Seals Manitoba in 2009, required preproduction customization for each participating provincial organization, which Three Star expertly provided.

Three Star Printing Inc. has been in business since 1993. At present, Three Star Printing Inc. services approximately 80 clients including six charitable organizations. Three Star Printing helps Easter Seals keep costs low to maximize revenue for Easter Seals’ programs and services.

Set in a quiet wooded section of Pippy Park in St John’s, Husky Energy Easter Seals House (HEESH) is a leading-edge facility in terms of its ‘green’ features as well as its accessibility. Heated and cooled by a geothermal system and constructed using recycled, sustainable or very low maintenance and replacement materials, HEESH leaves an impressively low carbon footprint for both construction and operations. The building design also provides for at least a 50% uplift, over and above provincial accessibility code; in many respects, it introduces new novel solutions to remove barriers for Easter Seals children, youth and families.

We moved into HEESH in February 2010. For the first time, Easter Seals administrative and program functions are together under one roof, and that’s already making a difference to our operational efficiency. We are bringing programs “in House” that had previously run in begged or borrowed space: karate, basketball, art and music are now being delivered at this amazing, barrier-free facility! And there has been no shortage of new program suggestions coming from children, youth, families, volunteers and staff: scrapbooking, indoor curling, badminton, chess, debating, cooking and pottery-making are now on our list of new programs, as well as an after-school study club, a book club, and a parent support and networking group. These large, bright, airy rooms are inspiring creative ideas, and the Easter Seals community is beginning to realize the dreams of 73 years!

In March we held a very special event during which Dr. John Lau of Husky Energy, our House naming sponsor, cut the ribbon on the incredible gift. We showcased the programs that are now possible because of amazing community support – such as we have with the Paper Eggs Campaign!

Of course, there is much still to be done – landscaping and paving this summer, for example – but we are confident that with the support of great corporate partners like Lawtons Drugs we’ll realize every dream of every Easter Seals child in Newfoundland & Labrador!

The Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club

Saskatoon – For more than 40 consecutive years, the Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club has collectively supported Camp Easter Seal in Saskatchewan with contributions of over $1M. On November 13, this stalwart supporter of Easter Seals was honoured for outstanding philanthropic efforts at the 9th Annual AFP National Philanthropy Day luncheon in Saskatoon.The Draggins’ fund raising efforts have constructed a new aquatic centre, recreation centre, medical cabin, and four cedar cabins at Camp Easter Seal. The financial commitment from the Draggins enables Camp Easter Seal to meet the complex and unique needs of the campers.

“The Draggins support of Camp Easter Seal stands out as a shining example of what is possible when a group of committed individuals come together to make their community a better place. We are honoured to have the Draggins as one of our key partners,” states Joyce Phillips, Regional Director, Saskatoon Branch.

The Saskatchewan Abilities Council is a proud member of Easter Seals Canada. The financial support Easter Seals Saskatchewan receives each year allows rehabilitation and recreational programs to be offered to children with disabilities in this province.

For more on Easter Seals Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, click here.

Michael Jama with mom, Irina Abbassova

There is nothing that 12 year-old Michael Jama enjoys more than hockey. Michael has Cerebral Palsy and must use a wheelchair, but nothing lights up his face or gets him more excited than a Leafs game. Michael’s love for Toronto’s hockey team is unconditional and he responds empathically to any criticism of the Leafs: “But, it’s our team!”Michael’s mom, Irina Abbassova, is a single mother who emigrated from Russia over six years ago. She came to Canada with Michael, her only child. They live in Toronto’s west end.

Easter Seals Ontario funded a manual wheelchair for Michael when he was eight years-old. Now that he is almost a teenager, he has outgrown his old wheelchair and needs a new one.

“Easter Seals is wonderful for our kids. Our kids need more and I cannot manage it alone. I could never afford it,” said Irina, referring to everything that is needed to raise a child with a physical disability.

“The cost to raise a child with a physical disability is staggering. When you take into account the costs of a wheelchair, ramps, a bath lift and other essential items, it can cost these families between $10,000 to $40,000 a year, and they just can’t do it on their own,” said Tina Shier, Director, Provincial Services, Easter Seals Ontario. “In addition, a number of families who come forward for assistance are single parents caring for their child with a disability and their siblings.”

Parents, such as Irina, turn to Easter Seals for assistance for mobility equipment and communication devices, as well as for opportunities for their child to attend Easter Seals camp, which is often their only opportunity to experience a stay away from home.

Last summer Michael Jama spent time away from his mother for the first time. He had the chance to experience a 10-day fully accessible summer camp program at Easter Seals Camp Woodeden near London, Ontario.

When Irina went to pick up Michael after his 10-day stay at Camp Woodeden, she remembers: “All the counsellors were there and singing a good-bye song to Michael. He was so happy. I was crying. We would never have the chance for something nice like this back in Russia.”

Donations help kids like Michael access the programs and services they need to achieve a greater level of independence.

For more on Easter Seals Ontario, click here.

Tyler Preece, Friends of We Care Ambassador, and Kevin Collins, Executive Director of Friends of We Care accept cheque for $120,000

Close to 300 people from the Foodservice and Hospitality industry, comprising 45 teams, raised $120,000 at the 12th Annual We Care Bowling Challenge held on November 26 at the Planet Bowl in Etobicoke. The amount raised will send 60 kids with special needs to a fully accessible Easter Seals summer camp.The annual bowling challenge is one of many fundraising events by Friends of We Care, which raises funds for Easter Seals camp programs through Canada’s Foodservice and Hospitality industry. Annually, Friends of We Care raises more than $1M.

“The incredible efforts of Friends of We Care, and the Foodservice and Hospitality industry, touch so many lives,” says Max Beck, CEO of Easter Seals Canada. “Because of them, more children with disabilities get to experience Easter Seals’ transformational camp programs, where they can test themselves, try new experiences and meet new friends.”

Congratulations goes out to the teams from Cardinal Meat Specialists which generated more than $26,750 to capture the top fund raising team trophy, Sysco Canada which raised more than $26,214, Janes Family Foods for $17,445.00, Gordon Food Service for $13,397.00 and Wings Foods for $3,688.00. A special congratulation goes out to the team from Ecolab for winning the top spirit award.

Friends of We Care extends special thanks to Sysco Canada which generously donated all the prizes provided for the top fundraisers. A special thank you to the Bowling Challenge committee which worked tireless hours to make this event a big success, led by Mike Stoner of TTS Marketing and George DaCosta of Cardinal Meat Specialists, Christine Baynham of Wing’s Foods, Cathy Caruso of Janes Family Foods, Kim Hinds of Kostuch Publications, Jennifer Marshall of Magnum Food Brokers, Gerry McParlan of Procter & Gamble Professional, Maureen Quirk of Sysco Canada, Nancy Wulff of W.T. Lynch Foods and Erin Rogers of Friends of We Care.

For more on Friends of We Care, click here

Colton, who has Downs Syndrome, is a talented young man with a quick sense of humor, an ever-present smile and a huge love for music. Active with the Special Olympics, Colton is also an avid golfer and local entertainer.

Colton is ecstatic to be the 2010 Easter Seals Ambassador. “My motto is ‘Feel the Joy!’ I am thrilled to be the Easter Seals Ambassador,” said Colton.

Colton’s campaign schedule includes traveling across PEI during the annual Tim Horton’s Easter Seals School Tour in April, and taking part in the Easter Beef Show and Sale.

Colton will also be a special guest on the 2010 Easter Seals Telethon, set to broadcast live from Confederation Centre of the Arts at a new and exciting new time slot – Sunday, March 28th from 2:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M. on CBC Television. Colton will share the stage with co-hosts Bruce Rainnie and Matt Rainnie and a top-notch cast of entertainers. The three-hour telethon will enable Islanders to call in pledges on a toll-free line staffed by volunteers from Aliant. The show will also be an opportunity to feature businesses and organizations that are supporting the Easter Seals Campaign through their fundraising efforts.

Colton will also attend the inaugural Charlottetown Easter Seals Drop Zone, where fundraisers dressed as Superheroes will rappel off the roof of one of the city’s tallest buildings. It is scheduled to take place in June 2010. Drop Zone, a national fundraising event, raises awareness, heart rates and fundraising dollars, all for provincial Easter Seals programs and services.

The PEI Easter Seals Society has provided financial assistance to support programs at PEI Cerebral Palsy Association, Camp Gencheff, Stars for Life for Autism PEI Rehabilitation Council, Joy Riders, CADS-PEI (disabled skiers association) and many other worthy organizations. The Society encourages businesses or organizations interested in supporting this year’s Easter Seals Campaign to contact Margaret Wilton, Campaign Coordinator, through her office at 902-651-2373 or email detailseventplanning@gmail.com.