Hi L.E.A.R.N. friends and families,
It seems Autumn is upon us as the weather is turning cooler. We hope you all are taking advantage of this and enjoying plenty of outdoor activities before winter hits.
There is a lot of news to share, so please read carefully.
We hope to see you at the next event!
L.E.A.R.N. of TN
www.learntn.org
L.E.A.R.N. FLAG FOOTBALL
Our L.E.A.R.N. STARS flag football team will be competing in the Special Olympics State Flag Football Tournament, this Saturday, October 1st. The tournament is being held at Lighthouse Christian School, 5100 Blue Hole Road, Antioch. Our team is scheduled to play in four games with the first game starting at 9:00am and we will also have games at 10:30am, 12:00pm and 1:30pm. Games are two 15 minute halves with a 5 minute half time. We invite all L.E.A.R.N. families and friends to bring their lawn chairs and maybe a blanket or two and come out and cheer for your STARS team.
L.E.A.R.N. PARENT MEETING
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our annual Parent Meeting NEXT Thursday, October 6th from 6:30 - 8:30 at First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro. We will be making announcements about some possible changes, we will distribute financial reports and discuss options for 2012 and have a forum for discussion. It would be nice to have all families represented.
FALL FLING 2011
Our annual L.E.A.R.N. Fall Fling is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd from 3-8pm at the home of Carla Maye, 3505 Halley's Dr. Murfreesboro. EVERYONE is welcome!! We will have a pot-luck dinner, hay rides, LOTS of games, craft activities, photo station, face painting, campfire and FUN!
LEARN will provide hot dogs, buns, condiments, paper goods and utensils and ice. We ask that everyone bring a side dish or dessert to share, a 2 liter or gallon drink, and a bag of wrapped candy. We will eat around 4:00. You may also want to bring camp chairs and/or a blanket. Please email Sonya at sonya.craig@learntn.org (or RSVP on Facebook) to let us know how many will be attending so we can be sure to have enough hot dogs and supplies.
Families and volunteers, we need your help for the Fall Fling to be a success! Please sign up to work a game or activity so everyone gets an opportunity to enjoy the day. Please email Sonya at sonya.craig@learntn.org to let her know which area below you would be willing to help with:
*Set up and Decorating
*Face Painting
*Pumpkin Walk
*Fall Golf
*Bean Bag Toss
*Leading large group games - at various times through the afternoon
-Pumpkin Roll
-Pumpkin Spatula Relay
-Make a mummy
-Balloon Relay
*Photo Station - (already covered)
*Crafts Table- at various times
-decorate a mini pumpkin
-fall craft
*Hay Ride - we need 1 more truck, trailer and driver. (We have 2.)
*Clean-up crew
L.E.A.R.N. BOWLING
Area 16 Special Olympics Bowling Tournament will be held at the Smyrna Bowling Center on Thursday, October 27th at 9am. L.E.A.R.N. has registered 14 bowlers to participate. Athletes, siblings and family members will continue to meet at the Smyrna Bowling Center on Sundays at 2:30pm to practice and have lots of fun. If you have any questions contact Dave Davis.
L.E.A.R.N/MTSU BASKETBALL CLINIC
We are making plans for our 4th annual L.E.A.R.N/MTSU Basketball Clinic. MTSU Coach Kermit Davis and the MTSU Blue Raiders basketball team have once again volunteered to do the clinic for us. A date has been set for Saturday, November 5th at the SportsCom. More info regarding the event to come.
GOLF
Close to 200 participants from as far away as Bermuda and Canada participated September 22 - 25 at the Special Olympics Nationals Golf Tournament held at The PGA Village in Port St Lucie, Florida. Our state was represented by 14 players including L.E.A.R.N. athlete Eric Davis and his Unified Partner Dave Davis. Check out Facebook for the great pictures. Anyone interested in joining our L.E.A.R.N. Golf Program please contact Dave Davis.
SAVE THE DATES
Mark your calendar for the following L.E.A.R.N. events. More details on these activities to come..
- Dance classes will be open to the entire family. Thursday evenings from 6:30 -8pm, November 3, 10 and 17.
- Everyone is invited to our End-Of-The-Year Sports Celebration and Dance on Saturday, December 3rd from 6–10pm in the gym at FBC. This will be the biggest event of the year, don't miss it!
OTHER NEWS
PROJECT HEALTH 4 SPECIAL KIDS
Project HEALTH 4 Special Kids is a FREE program that meets once a month at Patterson Community Center in Murfreesboro from 9am-12pm. During this time, kids ages 12-22 of all ability levels are welcome to join us for an active and healthy day! We learn about healthy recipes, how to properly work out in a gym, play active games, and have therapeutic water activities in the pool. The dates for this programming are the following:
October 1, 2011
November 5, 2011
November 19, 2011
December 3, 2011
January 7, 2012
January 21, 2012
February 4, 2012
March 3, 2012
March 10, 2012
Kids who register for this program will also receive a 30 visit pass to Murfreesboro Parks and Rec for his/herself and a caregiver. Please email Megan Graf at Megan@s4af.org or call 615-354-6454 to register your child today!
RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES FALL FESTIVAL
Rising Above Ministries Nashville is having a FREE Fall Festival THIS Saturday, October 1st from 2-4pm, rain or shine, at 5240 Edmonson Pike, Nashville.
There will be games, crafts, a petting zoo and lots of fun for individuals with special needs and their siblings.
To register your family, call 615-544-5214
AREA 16 SPECIAL OLYMPICS FUNDRAISER
Area 16 Special Olympics Wings and Rings fundraiser will be on Tuesday, October 18th from 5:00-8:00pm at the Toot’s on Sam Ridley Pkwy in Smyrna. This event gives L.E.A.R.N. family and friends a wonderful opportunity to help Area 16 Special Olympics raise funds for activities for Special Olympics athletes.
How does the fundraiser work?" L.E.A.R.N. families and friends can join others in the community and purchase your meal (including tipping your server) and enjoy seeing lots of folks you know, the Toot's atmosphere, and (family friendly!) entertainment provided by the SROs! The SROs will assist in the serving with the Toot's Staff in addition to singing and telling jokes!!! Each table will have an envelope for any contributions diners would like to make.
Mark your calendars now and help support Area 16 Special Olympics and the programs they provide for Special Olympics athletes.
RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES COMES TO MURFREESBORO!
Rising Above Ministries is a non-profit organization dedicated to special needs ministry at the church, chapter and community level. We believe that everyone is created by God with a plan, purpose and destiny to reflect His glory.
The Murfreesboro Chapter of Rising Above Ministries will hold its first service on Saturday, November 5th from 6:00-8:00 pm at Lifepoint Church’s Stewarts Creek Campus at 5100 Almaville Road in Smyrna.
Each service will begin with a joint worship time with music for all ages. Afterward, children and adults with special needs and their siblings may leave for classroom time which will be specifically designed for them. There will be loving, trained volunteers that will share God’s word in creative and fun ways. Every child will be included and have the opportunity to learn in their own way. Our worship services are followed by a fellowship meal.
We invite everyone to join us!
In 2012 we will begin a Mom’s Support Group and Bible Study, a Dad’s Hang Time as well as have an Easter Eggstravaganza and social outings.
For more information or to get involved, contact Kurt or Sonya Craig at craigs@risingaboveministries.org or 615-653-3840.
THE KATHY B. DAVIS FOUNDATION
Dave Davis has started a 501c3 non profit foundation in memory of his late wife who passed away on Nov. 5. 2009. The organization just recently received the IRS non profit status approval. In her own quiet and unselfish way, Kathy always put the needs of others before her own, unconditionally. She made it a personal goal, to help those in our society that didn't always have the means or ways to help themselves. In the months prior to her death, Kathy applied for, studied and became a child court appointed advocate. She was scheduled to appear in her very first case, two days before her death. It is in this same spirit of giving unselfishly to others that the mission of the foundation was developed: To Support and Create Life Enhancing Opportunities for Individuals with Special Challenges.
Individuals with Special Challenges is all encompassing and it not only covers individuals with special needs but also those individuals like Kathy was trying to help and provide advocacy support, just prior to her death.
Dave will continue to serve in his administrative capacity as a cofounder of LEARN. His new Foundation will support L.E.A.R.N. and help other programs as well.
