• Direct Support Professionals Rally on Capitol Hill
• UCPWA Mixes Dancing and Dining at 18th Annual Taste of the Town
• Indian Uprising All Pontiac Car Show Benefits UCP of Will County
• Be Part of an Online Auction to Benefit UCP
• In the News

Direct Support Professionals Rally on Capitol Hill

Direct support professionals (DSP) are an irreplaceable part of the services and supports we provide to individuals with disabilities. Wages and benefits are too low to keep workers in the jobs.

Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) and Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) introduced legislation to provide more federal funds to state Medicaid programs to improve wages. The bill is called the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2007 (H.R. 1279 ).

UCP is doing all it can to generate support for the bill. Over 200 direct support professionals will be attending a rally on Capitol Hill September 11th to lobby their representatives to co-sponsor the bill. The rally and Hill visits are being sponsored by UCP, The Arc, ANCOR and Lutheran Services in America. Many thanks to the UCP affiliates who are sending DSPs to DC to participate.

To further raise awareness about this issue and generate co-sponsors for the bill, we are sponsoring a national call-in day to coincide with the Washington DC rally. On September 11th we are asking people to call your representative and ask that they co-sponsor H.R. 1279. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Representative. We need your help to show that people care about this issue and want Congress to act. Please call on September 11th.

UCPWA Mixes Dancing and Dining at 18th Annual Taste of the Town

Attendees enjoy the array of food options at the 18th annual Taste of the Town. Photo by Piel Photography

United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama (UCPWA) has added a new twist to "Dancing with the Stars!" On August 14, UCPWA held the 18th annual Taste of the Town. For the first time in its 18-year history, the event featured a dancing extravaganza with local celebrities showcasing their best moves. Over 30 restaurants and 20 vendors participated in the event to raise money for UCP.

Attendees had the opportunity to see fancy footwork in action, sample some of Tuscaloosa's finest foods, and enjoy a silent auction that included items such as a Wynona Judd autographed guitar, Nick Saban and Shaun Alexander autographed footballs, a Freddie Kitchen's coaching team autographed football, and a Kenny Stabler autographed print.

UCPWA serves a 16 county area, providing a wide array of supports and services to over 600 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Community involvement in fundraising and special events is critical to the success of these services as the funds raised are used to match other grants and funding sources.

"The 18th Annual Taste of the Town proved to be a very successful opportunity for our agency to provide awareness to the general public about supports and services provided to our community. We love our food in West Alabama and this event provides us with an opportunity to showcase local favorites while supporting a very worthy cause at the same time," says Toni Franklin, Executive Director at UCPWA.

For more information about United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama, visit http://www.ucpwa.org.

Indian Uprising All Pontiac Car Show Benefits UCP of Will County

The largest all Pontiac Car show in the Midwest took place Sunday, August 5, 2007, at the Kane County Events Center in Geneva, Illinois. For the second consecutive year, the show benefited the day school and children’s programs at United Cerebral Palsy of Will County. This year's 17th annual show, hosted by the Cruisin' Tigers GTO Club, exhibited more than 275 cars from across the United States and Canada, and even as far away as Puerto Rico.

The event featured Pontiac GTOs, vendors, raffles, a wide variety of food, games, entertainment (including a DJ and clowns), and more than 125 awards for the exhibitors, such as Best in Show and Winners’ Circle. In addition to the more than $1,000 raised in individual donations from various exhibitors and spectators during the day, the club presented UCP of Will County a check for $5,000.

In its first two years benefiting UCP of Will County, the event has raised approximately $14,000 for the purchase of therapy equipment for the affiliate’s Reedswood day school. The school provides a formal school program for 62 children, aged 3 to 21, with profound developmental disabilities and other various medical impairments.

“Once again, UCP is the beneficiary of the incredible generosity of the Cruisin' Tigers GTO Club, who have donated $14,000 for our UCP Day School Program, along with countless classroom supplies, books, games, and electronic appliances. We thank them for this wonderful support, and for welcoming and embracing our clients who have attended their shows during the last two years,” said Samuel Mancuso, President and Chief Executive Officer of UCP of Will County.

For more information about UCP of Will County, visit their Web site.

Be Part of an Online Auction to Benefit UCP

Beginning September 10, you can bid on items featured in a United Cerebral Palsy online auction. The online auction is part of the 2007 United Cerebral Palsy Life Without Limits Gala. Visit http://ucp.cMarket.com to view and bid on auction items.

Interested in donating an item to the auction? Contact Emily Dolenz at 202.973.7100 or edolenz@....

This year's Gala will be held on October 4th at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC, and will be hosted by UCP Board members William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines. That morning, Mr. Macy and Ms. Hines will be lobbying on the Hill on behalf of UCP, and later that afternoon, a corporate CEO roundtable will discuss forecasted trends in the area of disabilities impacting employers and consumers.

For more information on the Gala, please visit www.ucp.org.

Founded in 1948 to help people with cerebral palsy, today United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is a pivotal advocate for the rights of all people with disabilities. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP is dedicated to advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities.

Learn more about UCP.

Ride Without Limits

Are you ready to ride? Call 888.547.3239, or visit RideWithoutLimits.org.

In the News

Disabilities advocates make strides The Herald News, 08/30/07
The Americans with Disabilities Act should be celebrated every day," said Sam Mancuso, director of the Will County United Cerebral Palsy in Joliet. "People with disabilities have a right to be included in society. Businesses and other entities need to comply with this federal legislation that has been mandated for 17 years."

The tiny survivors: Preemies The Denver Post, 08/27/07
United Cerebral Palsy estimates that every year, about 8,000 babies and up to 1,500 preschoolers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Prematurity is a major cause of the condition.

Performing Shakespeare casts a spell on teens Orlando Sentinel, 08/12/07
For two weeks this summer, 18-year-old Matthew Roszak got to be king. He stood like a king -- straight and proud and strong. He thrust his fist in the air when he spoke, as a king might do. And he wore a long robe and a sparkly, kingly crown. Matthew's mom, Farida Roszak, watched her son the king on an Orlando stage and cried. There in the spotlight was the child she had once worried would never be able to do anything for himself -- even make a sandwich. Now he was performing Shakespeare for an audience of 300.

Disabled advocate honored San Mateo County Times, 08/10/2007
Molly Kennedy had just arrived as a first-year student at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont when she got the urge to visit a mall. So she did. "I just got on the bus and went to the mall," Kennedy, 38, said. It was a short and simple trip back in 1987, but a significant one. For Kennedy, who has cerebral palsy, a pass to hop aboard a San Mateo County Transit District bus is a ticket to self-sufficiency. Her independence was recently recognized nationally with the Life Without Limits award, presented to her in April at United Cerebral Palsy's annual conference in Orlando, Fla.

Illinois hits 20th day without a budget Daily Southtown, 08/20/07
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to chop $500 million out of the state budget could affect emergency equipment for police and fire departments, services for the disabled and even efforts to clean up drinking water. A central Illinois organization that serves people with cerebral palsy is in line for $50,000 to buy equipment that lifts people out of their wheelchairs. Right now, United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln offers day services for 62 people but has only one lift. "When we found out it might be vetoed, we were dismayed. I was just in shock," said the group's president, Brenda Yarnell. "This is not fluff. We would welcome the opportunity to show anyone the work we're doing and see how difficult it is."