Far and Wide Trek for Developmental Disabilities: ONE MONTH TO GO!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

ONE MONTH TO GO!

Here we are now with the real countdown on. The pressure to get everything ready and prepared is on. I can't tell you how bizarre it all feels after coming up with the idea about 8 months ago in Korea and it actually coming into fruition. All I can really say is that I have to carry heavy load mentally to prepare for this. This next month is the crunch and we will see how it goes. I am up for the task and ready to make this the biggest success that I possibly can.

Now alot of people are wondering about the info for the whole trip. This document here will answer most questions that you may have about the trip or fundraiser.

http://www.lawsonministries.org/pdf/FW_Letter.pdf

$10,000 LEVEL Trek Sponsor
• Name Plaque mounted outside of room in new Autism Centre
• Prominent logo and company name placement in program and in Media Release for the event and opening of the new Autism Centre
• Prominent signage at event launch and opening of Autism Centre
• Prominent logo placement on clothing, packs and bike
• Logo Placement on Lawson Ministries website with link to company website
• Logo in Spectator thank you ad
• A feature article in Lawson Ministries monthly newsletter
• Full page ad in Salvation Army community luncheon program

$5,000 LEVEL Equipment Sponsor
• Prominent name placement on thank you wall in new Autism Centre
• Logo placement and company name in event program
• Signage at event launch
• Logo placement on bike and packs
• Name listed on Lawson Ministries website
• Company name listed in Spectator thank you ad
• Half page ad in Salvation Army community luncheon program

$2,500 LEVEL Supporter
• Name placement on thank you wall in new Autism Centre
• Company name listed in event program
• Signage at event launch
• Name listed on Lawson Ministries website
• Company name listed in Spectator thank you ad
• Quarter page ad in Salvation Army community luncheon program

Gift in Kind Sponsorship
A gift in kind would be greatly appreciated should your company choose to donate the needed equipment rather than a financial sponsorship. Please contact us to help facilitate this sponsorship and to discuss recognition opportunities

Donations
Donations towards the Far & Wide Bike Trek would be greatly appreciated as well. Tax receipts are available from The Salvation Army for any non-sponsorship contributions. Donations can be made on-line at www.lawsonministries.org

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A little about Matthew

All my life, a life spent with a younger sister who has Down syndrome, I believed that inclusion was the way of the future, that she would graduate and become a part of the community, that she was someone who could contribute just like anyone else. I have learned that the idea, and the words around it, is still in vogue. It’s the practice that’s wanting. Since her graduation, she takes part in a day program where the only *normal* people are her supervisors. She has become invisible again, part of a protected ghetto for people with disabilities, safe from others and them safe from her.
Much of my early life was trying to educate my peers about my sister’s disability and, being a kid, sometimes landing in the occasional fight. (Certainly true with my sister, who has always been outspoken!)
It saddens me to see that we continue to isolate people with mental disabilities because we don’t understand or are uncomfortable with what we see as unbridgeable differences. I believe that we can make a positive difference in how people view each other if we make an effort to encourage understanding through education.
Having worked with organizations and institutions dedicated to helping individuals with special needs, I have firsthand knowledge of how little society as a whole understands the challenges people with mental disabilities face on a daily basis. From my work with adults and children in Hamilton, I have learned a great deal about special needs. I also learned how a few people work incredibly hard to make a few underfunded programs work as well as they do. This past fifteen months I have spent teaching in South Korea. During this time, I did considerable research into the types of support that individuals with special needs receive and how it can be improved with relatively simple steps.
From my previous experience and from my research, the idea of the Far and Wide Bike Trek was born. It seems a logical next step, a way to raise awareness and funds for people with mental challenges. My hope is that I can connect with associations and individuals along the way in an effort to get some recognition for people in communities across the land. It helps that athletics, especially cycling, is something I love and it’s an honour to do something for others that they may not be able to do for themselves. This also would enable me to meet with community leaders and charity organizations across the continent to discuss the problems people with special needs face, and to share ideas. With only negligible help on the part of the community, many of these individuals’ lives can be made infinitely more manageable.
In addition, by using a bicycle, I’m also achieving other goals. Not only is the bicycle an excellent and neglected form of transportation, it’s environmentally friendly and a great form of exercise. I think the messages that we need to care for our environment and we need to take care of our bodies through exercise are important ones as well.
Finally, outside of monetary concerns and environmental awareness, I am genuinely interested in bringing to the attention of people everywhere how capable, frequently astonishing, and incredibly special people with mental challenges are. Although there are a handful of programs (such as the Special Olympics) with this goal, I feel as if the Far and Wide Bike Trek can truly drive the point home. Please be a part of my dream. Thank you for your time.

Far and Wide Trek for Developmental Disabilities

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

ONE MONTH TO GO!

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