Update ~ 4/27/09

Dear Friends,

Yesterday the SOS Moms Team attended the 7th Annual Imagine Walk and Family Fun Day for the Autism Project  of R.I. Although it was unusually hot, we walked over 2 miles and participated in lots of fun family activities with my children.

Thanks to your generosity, the SOS Mom team has managed to raise over $3000 for the Autism Project which means two teachers in our school will receive a five week workshop on the unique learning styles of ASD children!!!

I wanted to take a moment to thank my teammates for all their hard work and effort. To Bassam, thanks for being the most amazing father and husband; we make an incredible team! To Linda Thornly, thanks for this opportunity to raise awareness and money for a cause that I am passionate about. To Julie Jordan, thanks for being a dear friend, dependable and always there when I need you! To Mary and Bachar, you truly are the epitome of what best friends are and should be. To the Al-Sasah and Ead families thanks for your support and the many years of friendship. To Sandra A., the work you have done with my son starting at 20 months of age was truly the catalyst for me to better understand his issues and to get the help that he has needed to develop.   Thanks for being a great friend too! To Miss Pirolli, thank you for the extraordinary effort that you have put into understanding my son and teaching him this year. I can't imagine him having a better Kindergarten teacher; thanks for all that you do!  And finally, to Mr. Corsini thanks for providing the encouragement and support I needed this year when my darling son started his transition into his full day Kindergarten integrated classroom. Stephen Olney School is the enriching environment that it is; in part because of all the things you do to help your staff and kids.

 

Thanks again for your donations, without your support this amazing achievement would not have been possible. May God bless you all for your generosity!

Warmest Regards,

Donna Alqassar

 

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Dear Friends,

 

As you may be aware, Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.

You can just imagine how heartbreaking it is for any parent to hear the diagnosis of Autism knowing that to date, there is no known cure and no known cause of Autism.  As a Mom of a child who faces the challenges of having Autism, I know firsthand how important it is to have places to go to like the Autism Project. They provide education and a support  network to families and professionals regarding Autism, Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, Asperger Syndrom and related disorders and their families.

As many of you know, I am a passionate dedicated Parent Advocate for Families that face the many challenges of Autism. It was an easy and natural decision to join the SOS MOM Team. For every $1,500 we raise as a team, one teacher will get a five week training on teaching children with Autism Spectrum disorders.  If the SOS Mom Team can raise $8000, 30 professionals at Stephen Olney Elementry School will receive a five week workshop designed for parents and professionals. This teacher training will be instrumental in educating teachers in the unique learning styles of these children.

So, I turn to you today and ask you for YOUR HELP, not only in making a donation but passing my cause and link to others that can help too. I can’t do this without YOU! I implore you to get involved because with the statistics of 1 in 150 individuals being diagnosed with autism…each one of you will either know of or have someone in your own families affected by Autism.  The key to our children’s success is having the proper tools and training of the people who teach them each and every day.  Please help us achieve our goal by making a donation today!

On behalf of all the Super Moms and Dads who work so hard at helping their special children…Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Donna Alqassar

 

OFFLINE DONATIONS - THANK YOU!

Mayor Charles Lombardi $25.00

Louise Corrigan $25.00

Tower Construction Corp $380.00

Stephen Olney School ~ Feinstein Good Deeds $50.00

Frank Caduto $100.00

Rita Fisher     $25.00

The Jordan Family $ 25.00

The Di Prete Family $25.00

Stephen Olney School PTA $50.00

The Whiteside Family $15.00

Mary & Bachar Sasa $50.00

The DiFante Family $40.00

Vivian Lampp $25.00

Anonymous ( a dear friend) $20.00