Give Hope Ride
What do you get when you put together a fun day of cycling with a charity fundraiser? A local cycling event that raises donations to help cure pediatric cancer! That’s what the Give Hope Ride is all about. A Memorial Day event that invites cyclists of all levels to enjoy a day of riding with net proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
On May 26, 2014, on-site registration will begin at 7:00 a.m. followed by an adult ride leaving from Fishers Heritage Park. Adult riders can ride a 10, 21, 45 or 62 mile bike course charted through Fishers and the surrounding area. At 10:30 a.m., a kids’ bike safety class will begin at the center of the park. Around 11:00 a.m., children and their parents can ride a half mile course within the confines of the park. Find out more or register online at www,GiveHopeRide.com.
Apraxia Awareness Day
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder in which children have problems saying sounds, syllables and words. With apraxia, the brain has problems planning to move the body parts (lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words. In the past decade approximately 3.4-4.3% of children in the U.S. with a speech delay of “unknown origin” were found to have apraxia. In other words, apraxia affects 1-2 children per 1,000. Noblesville mom Krista Hickman had never heard of this condition until two of her children were diagnosed with it.
Krista’s goal is to raise awareness of childhood apraxia so that other families who learn their children have this condition will have the information, resources and support they need. Wednesday, May 14, 2014 is Apraxia Awareness Day nationally and Krista was recently successful in having Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield recognize this day as well. To learn more about CAS, visit The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America at www.apraxia.org.
National Angelman Syndrome Foundation Walkathon
The smiles on the faces of individuals with Angelman Syndrome (AS) belie a life marked by severe developmental delay, speech difficulties, seizure disorders and more. And yet they go on smiling. That’s just one reason the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) seeks to advance the awareness, understanding and treatment of those with AS, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
The ASF is a national 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting individuals with AS. Each year a national walkathon is held in cities all over the country to raise funds which are crucial in the efforts to find a cure. On Saturday, May 17, the ASF will hold a first ever walkathon in Carmel. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the walk starting at 9 a.m. at West Park (2700 W. 116th Street Carmel). To find out more, go to www.angelman.orgor contact Kathy Rokita to become a sponsor [email protected]
America’s Safest Suburbs
Congratulations Carmel and Fishers! Both cities were ranked #1 and #2 respectively as the safest U.S. suburbs to live in according to a study by Movoto Real Estate. Carmel ranked first overall for the lowest number of violent crimes per capita, second-safest in terms of property crimes per capita and had the second-lowest odds of being the victim of a crime. Fishers was ranked second overall for being the second-safest in terms of violent crimes per capita, fourth-safest in property crimes and ranked third in terms of the chance of being the victim of a crime.
To produce this ranking, the study relied on a list of 120 places that are the largest suburbs of the 50 most populous cities in the U.S. For the complete list, visit www.movoto.com/blog/top-ten/safest-suburbs/
A heartfelt thank you to the people of Fishers
Last February, 14 year old Katelyn Shadoan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 3. This rare cancer is only diagnosed in 450 children in the nation between the ages of 15-21. Her mother, Tonya, says, “You always hear about kids and cancer, but never would think it would happen to your own.”
Support for the Shadoan family quickly rallied from friends and family, but Tonya has been most surprised and grateful for the outpouring of support they have received from their community. Fishers Junior High dedicated a basketball game in Katelyn’s honor and held a school wide blood drive to create awareness. Tonya says, “I know Fishers is ranked no. 12th in
the nation as one of the best places to raise children; not only would I second that vote, but I would no doubt say it’s the best town in America to raise your kids.”
Katelyn herself has raised over $1,600 for the Lymphoma Foundation from t-shirts that she designed and sold that support this cause. She is currently doing well with her treatments. Tonya says their family has been in awe of the support they have received from the people of Fishers. “We couldn’t have done this without them.”
Just For Fun
May 2 No Pants Day
May 9 Lost Sock Memorial Day
May 11 Root Canal Appreciation Day
May 14 Chicken Dance Day
May 16 Sea Monkey Day
June 2 Leave the Office Early Day
June 4 Hug Your Cat Day
June 19 Sauntering Day
June 20 Flip Flop Day
June 26 Chocolate Pudding Day
