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Check out what’s been going on in our world!
Check out what’s been going on in our world!
In a previous blog blog, we mentioned that the Drop Dead Drift Corporation was holding a fundraiser for Astonished! on July 26.
An update:
We have to say, they came, they saw, they conquered AND overwhelmed us with their generosity!Here, is a truly great group of people looking to get involved and give back to the community. The day was awesome – the races were entertaining, the people were lovely and even the weather cooperated! Everyone from Astonished! had a lot of fun and we could tell that everyone else was having a lot of fun, too. To round out the day, Drop Dead Drift made a donation of $5000 to Astonished!
To our Drop Dead Drift contact Kaylah Zahara and the Drop Dead Drift Guys -the core 4 are Austin Phillips, Justin Schiller, Jon Tougas and Kolton Ryan – as well as all the organizers, participants, volunteers, and spectators, THANK YOU! We cannot say enough great things about you. The same goes for Travis Fehler, Kyle Zimmer, and Dave Rushinko, who partnered with Drop Dead Drift to make the weekend possible. You are all so good. It is because of generous donations like these, that we are able to continue to engage in meaningful research and offer innovative services for young adults with complex physical disAbilities. It makes all the difference.
We encourage everyone out there looking for something interesting to do to check out a Drop Dead Drift event!
https://www.facebook.com/DropDeadDrift?fref=ts
*This picture is A! Core Member Kennen Dorgan out for a few laps with her brother Reed and Jessie-Joe Curtis with Odd Man Out Performance of Regina!
There are so many things to love about our association with the University of Regina. We love it when students come to Astonished! with ideas of how we can partner together. Jake Sawa, U of R Kinesiology grad, came to us last summer with the idea of creating the A! Dance Project. Jake learned some of his moves with Lazylegz Patuelli and created many of his own. Each month we have danced with Jake, strengthen our community, and gained new confidence in our own unique responses to the beat. Last evening was our last official dance time with Jake. He is off to study medicine at the University of Saskatoon. We will miss him and we know he will be a fabulous doctor. Jake brought listening, respect, fun, skill, and the ability to adapt to changing situations to the A! Dance project. All of this will carry him well in his future. Thank you Jake!
Photo- Ryan and Jake catch the beat.
Remember Maslow (or perhaps this is your first encounter with him)? 40 years ago, when I took my nursing degree, we had a class in Human Psychology which taught Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For some reason, that class stands out in my memories and over the years I frequently thought about this theory. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory of human motivation and was extended to include observations of humans’ innate curiosity.
Life can be very busy just meeting our physiological and safety needs. We need air, water, food and metabolic requirements for survival, along with clothing, shelter, personal and financial security and adequate health and well-being. But we all know there is more to life than these basics. Life is richer as we experience and offer love. Life is richer when we offer and experience belonging in our homes and in society. Maslow’s theory suggests that the hierarchies of needs are interrelated, rather than sharply separated, and human needs extend from sustenance to group membership and justice.
We will be celebrating Rebekah’s 25th birthday this summer! As we reflect on the passing of a quarter of a century, we are so grateful to the community of Astonished! Rebekah, her peers/core members, student researchers, staff, family, volunteers, and friends of Astonished! have had and continue to experience an opportunity to know love, belonging, and self-actualization . What a gift! The Big Sky Center for Learning and Being Astonished! has and continues to change all our lives, it’s quite the ‘ride’! We want to extend your HEARTFELT THANK YOU to EVERYONE who supports Astonished! in all the numerous ways. We are better together! (Joy Lindenbach for Joy, Brian, and Rebekah).
THANK YOU Joy, Brian, and Rebekah
83% of our annual budget comes from individual donations.
Joy and Brian donate monthly through our pre-authorized debit donor option.
Rebekah makes a cash donation twice a year.
To learn more about our donor options……..
You never know where your connection with Astonished! will take you. Have you ever been to a drift race? While she was a student at the University of Regina, Kaylah Zahara, Drop Dead Drift Team Manager, was introduced to Astonished! by A! Student Researcher Avery Ottenbreit.
Recently Kaylah came to us with the proposal that the Drop Dead Drift Corporation hold a fundraiser for Astonished! on Sunday, July 26, 2015.
Drop Dead Drift has two pro-am drivers who complete in the Spec-D Series in Edmonton, Alberta. They take cars around corners at close to 100 km/hr sideway! It is exhilarating to watch and to go for a ride! Drop Dead Drift Corp has numerous events at Kings Park Speedway throughout the summer. Be sure to check them out on Facebook.
Drop Dead Drift Corp will be accepting Donations for Astonished! at the gate. Donations of $15.00 and above are eligible for a tax receipt. Proceeds from the day will go to Astonished! Kings Park Speedway is about 10 km northeast of Regina, on Inland Drive, just north of the Tor Hill and Murray Golf Courses (click link for map). Gates open at 11 am. The day ends when the drivers run out of tires!!! Gate Fee: $10.00/person 10 and under free!
If this seems like an event you want to experience come join us.
Photo by Tony Koch
Mosaic weekend (July 4 -6) is upon us! The Astonished Social Club was so pleased to take in the Kyiv Ukrainian Pavilion at the dress rehearsal for Mosaic on Wednesday, June 3rd. Going to the Ukrainian Pavilion was the idea of Leadership Team member Kaitlyn Hoar, who attends this dress rehearsal every year, and it was a pleasure to see how popular Kaitlyn and her family are in the Ukrainian community. Thanks to Kaitlyn, we all felt like a bunch of VIPs! Although it was a dress rehearsal, it felt like the real deal: the dancers just as talented, the crowd just as enthusiastic, and the food just as delicious. A round of vareneky (perogies) for everyone, please! Big thanks to all involved for their hospitality and for sharing their bright and vibrant culture with us. We were thrilled to be a part of it.
We work in inclusive community to address barriers facing young adults with complex physical disAbilities (core members) by creating opportunities for teaching and learning, social, recreational and cultural engagement, and for employment and housing.
The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Phone:
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, Executive Director, 306-737-9560
E-mail:
BCV@beingastonished.com

