September 15th Granting a Wish

This evening I witnessed a wish for Muffin Latham a 71 year old senior that requested a wish to hit a pitched baseball. Twilight Wish is a foundation founded in 2003 in Bucks County, PA, Twilight Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their mission is to enrich the lives of elders that have served others. Through wish granting and group celebrations, they give our seniors unexpected "thank yous" for time devoted unselfishly to their families' welfare, charitable organizations, and the communities they all share. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special event organizers, and in numerous other functions. To learn more about Twilight Wish please visit their website http://www.twilightwishfoundation.org/

Afterwards I watched the children play baseball and cheered them on at the River Cats Independence Field. Children, Adults With Disabilities Have Their Own ‘Field of Dreams’ River Cats Independence Field is now Open With Kids Playing Baseball, Some for the First Time WHAT: A “field of dreams” for thousands of people with disabilities in the Sacramento region featuring the inaugural first pitches and many more being thrown and caught by the stars themselves – children with disabilities.

River Cats Independence Field is surfaced with a rubberized, track-like material that makes it easily navigable for individuals in wheelchairs and walkers. This is believed to be the only baseball field for people with disabilities in the nation that features the rubberized surface throughout the infield and outfield and is the size of a regular 200-foot Little League diamond.

WHO: • Mike Ubaldi, chair of River Cats Independence Field Advisory Committee. • Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo and City Council Member Bonnie Pannell. • Art Savage, CEO of the Sacramento River Cats Triple-A baseball team, which made River Cats Independence Field its “legacy project” as the host of the 2005 Triple-A All-Star Game in July. •

The real stars: Dozens of children and adults with disabilities, many of whom couldn’t play baseball before because regular playing surfaces were too hard to navigate and often too dangerous for play. WHERE: Samuel Pannell Community Center, 2450 Meadowview Road, Sacramento. Fields are located adjacent to the center at Meadowview Road and 24th Street.

Read more about the playing field
http://movemedia.org/IndependenceField/IMPROVEMENTS/IF_IMPROVMENTS.html

September 9th A Dinner Fundraiser for Joni and Friends

Tonight I attended a fundraiser event given by Shannon and Dakota Coe on behalf of “Joni and Friends”. This dinner was a 10-course meal and all the money raised this evening will support a team of professionals along with funding to bring people with disabilities the wheelchairs they need to Cuba. Shannon will be going to Cuba October 26th-November 4th to deliver the wheelchairs to the recipients, making sure each recipient has a wheelchair that fits their disability and need.

September 6th USA Tennis Tourment at Donner Lake

View this article http://www.sierrasun.com/article/200770906023

Athletes compete in Truckee on way to Beijing

Tournament draws wheelchair tennis players from around world

By Greyson HowardSierra Sun, ghoward@sierrasun.comSeptember 6, 2007

World-class wheelchair tennis is rolling into Truckee this weekend.Starting today (Friday) and running through Sunday, the 22nd annual Tahoe Donner International Wheelchair Tennis Sectional Championship will be held at the Tahoe Donner Club. Athletes will vie for points toward the U.S. Open Championship in San Diego, and the Paralympic Games in Beijing.“It’s a pretty incredible event,” said tournament director Robbie McClendon. “They are tremendous athletes.”McClendon said about 60 athletes will compete, arriving in Truckee from all over the world. Competitors will include residents of Canada, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Germany Chile, Mexico, Japan, Australia and South Korea.The tournament’s founder, Bonni Sue Hickson, said this year’s tourney has attracted a record number of open-class women players. McClendon attributed the sport’s draw to how well tennis lends itself to athletes in wheelchairs.“Wheelchair tennis is a pretty large sport; you don’t really see wheelchair baseball,” McClendon said. “It’s a great sport for them because they can basically play as normally as an able player could.”Good fitHickson agreed that tennis is a better fit for athletes in wheelchairs than other sports.“It’s one of the fastest-growing sports; it’s not like you need a team like in basketball,” she said, adding that being in a wheelchair adds to the sport. “It’s like two sports in one; you get the maneuvering in the chair, and the game and skill of the sport.”Athletes use special, quick-turning wheelchairs, and a two-bounce rule allows them more time to get to the ball, McClendon said.Eric “Dyno” Daniels was a Truckee-Tahoe resident from 1989 to 1995, when he was paralyzed in an accident. He lived in the area again from 1997 to 2000, and will be among this year’s competitors.Part of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, Daniels says he was frustrated when he tried adaptive skiing, but found a new niche in wheelchair tennis, winning the U.S. Open in both singles and doubles in 2003.

August 29th A day with the staff at the Oakland A's Game

I am the Program Manager at Independent Living Resource in Fairfield . Today all the offices met for a day of fun and relaxation and to cheer for the Oakland A's.

Independent living Resource is a non-profit organization serving Contra Costa and Solano counties (California), under consumer direction. Our mission is to empower people with disabilities to: Control their own lives. Provide advocacy and support for individuals with disabilities to live independently. Create an accessible community free of physical and attitudinal barriers. Visit are site http://ilrcoco-sol.org/default.aspx

Special photo's of my family and friends

Family photo Alex(18) to the left of me and Gary my husband with my son Joey(15) at the right. In the other photo's is Michelle and Stephanie taken the day of the benefit.

August 26th A Benefit for Research for Cure

Karen Miner, Dr. Hans Keirstead, Fran Lopes and Susan Rotchy presenting the check to the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.


Research for Cure is a nonprofit tax exempt organization whose mission is to raise funds for scientific research to cure neurological diseases. All net monies raised at this time benefit the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. The center named after Christopher Reeve and Joan Irvine is part of the University of California, Irvine. The Reeve-Irvine Research Center is on the forefront of the latest in cures for spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and many of other neurological conditions.
The Research for Cure Team is staffed with a growing number of volunteers. A majority of the volunteers are wheelchair warriors and their family and friends. Research for Cure does not pay salaries or rent space everyone works out of their homes. Our expenses are limited to the cost of putting on our fundraising events. We raise funds by holding golf tournaments, dinner/dance and bringing a speaker from the Reeve-Irvine Research Center to the events. Research for Cure brings knowledge not just to the injured but to the whole family and gives hope to find cures to lessen the health risks we all endure from our injuries. Research for Cure has raised over 300,000 dollars for the Reeve-Irvine Research Center in the past seven years please check out our website to see when clinical trials will be beginning. It really is a “Rat Race!” http://www.researchforcure.org/index.htm

Reeve-Irvine Research Center website http://www.reeve.uci.edu/

August 25th The Night before my benefit Research for Cure

Michelle, Ellenie, Stephanie and Susan

This night was very special I had three great friends one flew in from Florida and another traveled 2 hours to come to my benefit on August 26th. This evening we went out to dinner to unwind and afterwards we relaxed on our sailboat. You ask yourself how did I get on the boat since I am paralyzed hmmm? My husband carried me on the boat which was not an easy task I might be light but the boat does rock. In this photo I am sitting with all my friends in the cabin it was a great evening.

August 22nd A Fundraiser at the River Cats Game

This evening I spent it with Leisure Access which is a program that provides activities for people with disabilities.

August 22nd A day at the Capitol

Today we are advocating at the state capitol for AB1113 (Brownley) Extends and increases eligibility for the Medi-Cal California Working Disabled Program which is supported by AARP. The Governor even came out of his office to support are cause. I was on the front lines to take a great photo of Arnold our California Governor.

August 18th Evening Banquet

Evening Banquet supporting the USA Wheelchair Tournament

I just wanted to let everyone know the USA Tournament this past weekend in Napa was fun and there is a great article on line and with a slide show of the event. The wheelchair tennis players are having a couple more events that are coming up. One is at Standford and at Donner next month. We need to show our support to all these great players and cheer them on. We really need to bring awareness to the achievements of people with disabilities and programs that are available.

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/08/19/sports/local/doc46c7e9c269673268314003.txt

August 18th USA Wheelchair Tennis Tour

Morning of the Registration for the USA Wheelchair Tennis Tournment

Great turn out! Let's thank the "Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network"

Big thanks to Jeff and Lynn

August 17th Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network

Last Chance to buy a raffle ticket from the Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network to win a Classic 1981 Mercedes Bez 380 SL Convertible the drawing will be held on September 2nd at the Symphony on the River in Napa.

August 10th Fundraiser

Fundraiser at the River Walk in Napa
Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network

Their mission statement Empowering persons with spinal cord injuries through peer support, advocacy, and education to maintain health and independence, to achieve the highest quality of life.

Services that they offer are Information, Education, Resources and Referral. Their focus is on the return to family and the community through group discussion on the anxiety of being discharged, as well as the expectations that one may face living with a spinal cord injury.

The Peer Support Group meet the last Friday of every month from 1:00pm to 2:30pm. At the Community Outreach and Educational Center
3448 Villa Lane, suite 102
Napa, CA 94588

August 3rd ALL WORKING FOR THE SAME CAUSE

Raising Funds for the Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network in Napa

July 29th Saying Goodbye at the Pageant

This morning we are rushing around in are room and we need to pack and make it downstairs to the Queen's Breakfast. I am hurrying to get my belongings ready so my husband can pack them up when we get back. Today, the elevator chose not to operate again this has been the most frustrating detail of our trip for the whole week. There are three elevators and I don't remember all of them operating at the same time and of course today was no exception except everyone is checking out at the same time. This is the only time I believe my husband spoke out about anything during the week that wasn’t positive. I was stranded upstairs in the elevator alone for one hour because my husband chose the stairs to give someone else room that could not walk downstairs. By the time I arrived Alana was giving her speech I was disappointed to have missed part of her speech because she is a powerful speaker. After the breakfast I chose to go to the lobby down one floor and wait for my husband to get the luggage (I didn't dare go up to be stranded again). This is when are real adventure began.

Ms Wheelchair America 2008

Alana Wallace of Chicago, Illinois, was crowned Ms Wheelchair America 2008 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Alana founded Dance>Detour in 1995 to develop and promote artistic collaborations between artists with and without disabilities working together to explore dance movement as equals. She works to expand the concept of what dance is and who can be involved. Wallace, an African-American woman who contracted polio at the age of five, has always believed she was born to perform. She has found that the wheelchair is a beautiful accessory that affords her a unique opportunity to embrace and express dance.

Alana has been featured in collaborative dance pieces with renowned companies such as Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Bryant Ballet, The Chicago Moving Company and MOMENTA. In 1998, she was featured in the Emmy Award-Winning PBS television documentary “Dance From the Heart” hosted by Ben Vereen. She conducts movement workshops with ArtsConnect, and lectures and performs nationwide. Thus, Alana proudly displays her artistry in dance, (as well as in singing, and acting) – as a testament to the talents and abilities of performers with disabilities. Adding to her creative endeavors, Wallace has recently launched CRIPmark Cards –- a glittering greeting card line that showcases images of people with disabilities that are positive and beautiful!

We wish Alana a wonderful year!

July 28th is the Crowning of Ms Wheelchair America

Today, I am exhausted physically it has been a long week with very little time to rest. I work full-time as a Program Manager and sit on several boards and I believe this week had pushed my physical strength to its limit. This morning all of the contestants met for the Crowning Ceremony Rehearsal and lunch was on our own. Ms Kentucky and our spouses ventured out together at the Mexican restaurant next door recommended by the Ms Wheelchair America Board. They had mentioned earlier in the week that the food was good I do agree that the food was very good until you had to use the restroom (wish I hadn't drank all that water). The restroom was not accessible and when I mentioned this to the restaurant staff they said "really maybe I can help you get in. We haven't had any complaints". I had to explain to the gentleman that I can't walk or stand and even if you could get my wheelchair in the door I would not be able to use the stall. So, I excused myself from the rest of the group and went back to the hotel to use the hotel bathroom. After lunch I went to have my hair and make-up done by professionals this was an option that was provided for the contestants and I am so happy that I chose to have my hair and make up done rather then doing this myself. The hairstyles and Make-up Artists did a fabulous job on all the ladies that chose this option.At 5:00 all the contestants lined up to go on stage we were escorted by Navy Officers and the top five contestants were announced. Alana Wallace, Ms Illinois who acquired her injury of polio as a child at the age of 5. Jackie Bartels, Ms Texas who acquired her spinal cord injury as a child at the age of 13. Kristen McCosh, Ms Massachusetts who acquired her spinal cord injury as a child at the age of 15. Jennifer Biggers, was born with spinal bifida. Heather Grossman, Ms Arizona who acquired her spinal cord injury from a gunshot wound featured on "48 hours".

Top Five

Ms Wheelchair America 2008 Alana Wallace
1st runner up was Heather Grossman
2nd runner up was Kristen McCosh
3rd runner up was Jackie Bartels
4th runner was Jennifer Biggers

Ms. Congeniality - Jackie Bartels, Ms. Wheelchair Texas
Nicki Ard Achievement Award - Heather Grossman, Ms. Wheelchair Arizona
Todd Mullins Courage Award - Buddy Hayes, Ms. Wheelchair Virginia
Spirit Award - Amanda Baker, Ms. Wheelchair Florida
Bouquet Award - Lorraine Cannistra, Ms. Wheelchair Kansas
People’s Choice - Cathy Porter, Ms. Wheelchair Maryland

July 27 Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

Today was the last of the interviews and if you were not interviewing we were in a workshop given by Juliette Rizzo entitled "Women's Health". Juliette was Ms Wheelchair America 2005 she is unbelievable and is the whole package. She is educated, charismatic, lights a room as she enters and all you can say is WOW! She is the most photographed Ms Wheelchair America ever if you Goggle Ms Wheelchair America her name and photo comes up immediately. When I first heard of the Ms Wheelchair America pageant I did a search and Juliette came up and she was an advocate before her reign and continues to be an advocate today for people with disabilities. Juliette is a true role model for people with disabilities and to have had the pleasure of meeting her I can see why she was the most photographed Ms Wheelchair America she is beautiful inside and out. She is a true advocate for people with disabilities not just at her state level but at the national level.

July 26 Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

Another day of interviewing and this morning I waited in the conference room before my interview. I chatted with Ms North Carolina Jennie Martin she is so sweet and her accent is so southern. She is married to a wonderful man you can see the flame in both her and her husband's eyes. She is Miss Social Butterfly she knows every one's story and is whole heartily interested in every contestant and hanging on their every word and is spinal cord injury.

Ms North Carolina
I wheel to the other side of the room and observe my husband enticed in a conversation with Ms New York. As I approach I realize that Ms New York is a BIG SPORTS FAN I can identify between a basketball and a football team but Ms New York has knowledge of the players and the positions that they play. WOW! How cool is that! She even has a wheelchair designed as the stripes of the America flag. I am impressed! She is a great advocate and represents people with disabilities by sitting on several boards in her community and her state.
Ms New York
It is time to get ready for the "The ADA and You" workshop I sit with Ms Kentucky Sherry Hixembaugh during this workshop Sherry makes light of not having an accessible room and what the team of attorneys think is accessible. The team of attorneys offer to fly to our home states to assist in making our states ADA compliance at no cost to the titleholders. This was very soothing to know someone cares so much to make changes all over the United States and at no cost to the titleholders. I personally added to the conversation that I was able to make a difference without suing the community college and the city that I resided in at the time. I believe you can make a change in numbers and with grace and only file a lawsuit as last resort. One of the attorneys replied later that he had never seen a city comply without suing. I was impress with myself if I had accomplished this and he had not ever seen it done. I did mention that he may want to walk over and glance at my scrapbook with all the articles from the newspaper on the work I had done in the community.
Ms Kentucky
It is time for the Comedy Night this evening was a lot of fun most of the young ladies were dressed up as their favorite comedian and some contestants preformed skits on stage with their husband and care providers. Ms Illinois Alana Wallace and her husband did a skit from "I LOVE LUCY" and they were absolutely fabulous.

Ms Illinois

Part of comedian night was for the contestants to tell a joke on stage and my joke was about the conversations of a married couple. I thought this was appropriate since I was married and I would never say these statements to my husband (he picked out the jokes). This night I was next to Ms Washington Sigrid Laegreid and she just captured my heart. She is a full time employee at my favorite store which is Nordstrom and works in their corporate office. She gave out really nice pins of the space needle from her home state. She acquired a spinal cord injury from a drunk driver and is advocating to make a change in her state. During the joke presentation Ms Washington's phone was ringing ever so lightly and I would look her way and she would be smiling and pretend not to notice and she did this with grace and a straight face. We both laughed afterward and from then on we became great friends. This night was a great evening we all danced after comedy night.

Ms Washington

July 25 Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

This was the day the interviews began and believe it or not I was very relaxed right before the interviews and after the interviews. When I rolled into the elevator that morning I met up with two of the Ms Wheelchair America judges. Both of the judges were wearing Ms Wheelchair badges and at that moment I realized that they were the judges and I said "Oh my God you’re the judges and they laughed" I didn't know at the time but they were husband and wife and they were judging the pageant and Matt the husband was the head judge and Tracey his wife was also a judge. When I rolled into the first interview I saw Denise who was the hostess the night I arrived was I shocked! I said “Denise” and she just smiled. Denise was so comforting to me the night that I arrived and I was so excited that I don't even remember what I said to her. Gosh, I hope I didn't show my silliness to her. One of the judges was Jill Caruso she had the most striking eyes I had ever seen. I learned later that day her 13 year old son had a crush on Ms Texas. Tracy Charlton O'Connor was one of the judges she came over to me, Alana Wallace and Ms Texas that evening to let us know that Jill's son had a crush on Ms Texas. How cute was that we even encouraged Ms Texas to dance with Jill's son that evening during Fifties Night. Ms Texas is Jackie Bartels she was injured from a fall at a young age and received a spinal cord injury. She is another courageous woman that grew up with her disability. Jackie played
wheelchair tennis and received a scholarship to further her education.

During the interviews all the contestants appeared at the Dreams of Trade Show this consisted of a brochures of the Ti-lite chairs (I own a Ti-lite which is a great wheelchair) and the showing of costume jewelry that Ms Arkansas purchased for the night of the crowning. Ms Arkansas is the sweetest young lady I had met at the pageant. She was always with me before I entered the interview and after I exited an interview. Ms Arkansas is Jennifer Biggers and she was born with Spinal Bifida and grew up with her disability and she is truly an inspiration. She offered great peer support and provided encouragement during the interviews throughout the week.

July 24 Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

Today was "Fun Day" we made up a skit which I believed showed are personalities. Our skit consisted with a storyline about a pageant and the contestants trying to bribe the judges for their vote (this was great fun Ms Michigan thought of the idea).


Afterwards, we went out to lunch at Bennigan's and I had the honor of sitting with Ms Virginia Buddy Hayes and Elli her escort. Buddy is an outgoing individual despite her disability she is the "Bomb" she's was always smiling and making a jokes she even gave the chef a hand. Buddy's background is amazing she had a camera crew with her at all times doing a documentary about her. To learn more about Buddy please check out her website and see the advocating that she does for Virginia http://www.mswheelchairva.com/. Right after lunch we had a group photo of all the contestants this was quite a task for the photographer.We then headed back to the hotel to work on a quilt for the next Ms Wheelchair America 2008. One of my hobbies is quilting so this was a lot of fun for me. I received a blocked square to create a drawing of a block that would represent my state so I drew the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco using a pen. For the evening entertainment that night all the contestants exchanged a gift that represented their state and played name that country.

My state gift was given to Ms Rhode Island Kathy Leonard she has been advocating for over thirty years she is a graduate of Rhode Island College and the University of RI. She is a retired school teacher and librarian from the Pawtucket School Department. She volunteers for many organizations including PARI and Independent Radio.Kathy's personal motto is "If I think I can, I can" Please check out her website http://www.mswheelchairrhodeisland.org/.

I received Ms Ohio's state gift she is Janni Mitchell she was appointed by the Ohio Governors Council for People with Disabilities and has received recognition from the Internal Association of Assistance Dog Partners. She is a vital part of bringing awareness to her community. This was an amazing evening and it was a night to get to know the other state contestants.

July 23rd Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

I had dinner with Ms Michigan, Shelly Loose and Heather Grossman, Ms Arizona.

Shelly received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Aquinas College and at this time Shelly suffered a C 5-6 incomplete spinal cord injury from a car accident. Shelly met her husband Ken who is also inspirational and their unique story is that they were married on “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” in 1993. Today, Shelly has a 10 year old daughter and went back to school to earn her masters degree in the art of teaching. She is a true inspirational and a great leader. Read more about Shelly http://www.maryfreebed.com/Secondary.aspx?channelpostingid=164

Heather Grossman is a very quite women very reserved and her injury is from domestic dispute. I never asked about the details I felt it was inappropriate to ask but she truly has a story of “Murder for Hire”. She is very beautiful and a lot like the other contestants we were all living the American dream before are injuries. Heather is on a vent like Christopher Reeves I listened to every word that she spoke of her children they are her pride and joy and her inspiration in her life. Today she speaks out on domestic abuse she is truly inspirational and has overcome more barriers then the other women here. Read more about Heather http://www.friendsofheathergrossman.com/index.htm .

National Pageant July 23-28

Upon winning the title of Ms Wheelchair California this honor qualified me to compete in the Ms Wheelchair America Pageant. There were 26 inspirational ladies from other states that were very accomplished women that were advocates. I flew out on July 22nd leaving California at 6:00am and arrived in Maryland at the hotel around 8:30 pm with a layover in Chicago. I was greeted by wonderful staff at the Doubletree hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. I was one of the fortunate contestants that were able to receive an accessible room. I was very grateful of this because very few contestants were able to receive accessible rooms. It is quite a task to accommodate all these beautiful ladies, directors of the pageant and three judges in wheelchairs with accessible rooms. The hotel staff really tried their best to accommodate us but I believe they were overwhelmed that Sunday night. I was very excited and that evening I had the honor of meeting Ms Wheelchair Massachusetts Kristen McCosh http://mswheelchairmass07.blogspot.com/ she is a beautiful women inside and out and a true advocate. She acquired a spinal cord injury very young in life she advocates at her state capitol for removal of physical barriers as well as fighting for people with disabilities to live independently in their home. She is also an advocate to encourage people with disabilities to go back to work and "Leads by Example." And she is truly an example of what she believes in and to be considered her equal as a state contender is a great honor.