Enclosed you will find an Overview (#2), the Application (#3), and the Provider Invoice (#4) for the 2014 Opportunity Awards.

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1 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 190 Dayton, OH Serving Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby counties Fax: Dear MVDSA Member, My name is Heidi Porter, and I am pleased to be the Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee (the body responsible for overseeing the Opportunity Awards). Please remember that to get the full amount of points someone in your family needs to be an approved volunteer at least once during the year! There are many fun opportunities for volunteering. I welcome your questions, ideas, and concerns as we work to get everyone involved and supporting our amazing children to the best of our ability. My address is stonecoast@yahoo.com, and please put OPPORTUNITY AWARD in the subject heading so that your doesn t get lost in the sea of spam. I can also be reached via my cell phone ; be forewarned that I do turn off my ringer whenever my twins are asleep! However, if you contact me, I will respond as quickly as I can. At the general meeting in May, we will be awarding the 2014 Opportunity Award (OA) to those members whose families have participated throughout the past year. Enclosed you will find an Overview (#2), the Application (#3), and the Provider Invoice (#4) for the 2014 Opportunity Awards. In order to receive the 2014 OA for your child, each family will need to fill out and return the enclosed application (#3) by April 30, Please do not turn in the Provider Invoice (#4) until after the May General meeting when the Awards will be handed out. Please remember that in order to retain our 501C3 non-profit status, the MVDSA must always pay only ONE provider with ONE check for your ENTIRE award, and approved award monies are paid directly to the provider by the Treasurer once the billing statement and Provider Invoice (#4) are received by MVDSA. Again, after reading through the Overview, please contact us with any questions! Sincerely, Heidi Porter Scholarship Committee Chairperson Officers President Kelli Fritz president@mvdsa.org Vice President Dawn Koesters v.pres@mvdsa.org Recording Secretary Lisa Van Wey record.sec@mvdsa.org Treasurer treasurer@mvdsa.org Newsletter Editor editor@mvdsa.org Mission statement: The mission of the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association is to provide resources and support for persons with Down syndrome, their families, and their communities.

2 # Opportunity Award Overview Purpose The goal of the MVDSA is to provide help, support, and information to parents of children with Down syndrome and to increase public awareness regarding Down syndrome. The purpose of the Opportunity Awards is two-fold: to encourage active participation by MVDSA members (attending events that bring us together as a community and volunteering for the committees that allow us to continue providing support) to provide funding for summer camps, therapies, ipads, and other approved enrichments that directly improve the life of the individual with Down syndrome. Eligibility Awards are NOT based on the financial status of the family, and will be awarded once per calendar year per individual with Down syndrome. You must be a current paid member of the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association. Award amounts will be determined by a member s participation in MVDSA activities, fundraising, general meetings and committee meetings, and volunteer activity. How it Works Each family accumulates points from May 1, 2013 until April 30, For the maximum award or to be eligible for am ipad your family must accrue 10 volunteer points and 90 activity points. April 30, 2014 is the deadline for applications (meaning you need to know what you want to do with the award and let the Board know by submitting the application, document #3). Once your application is received, the MVDSA Board will review and approve the request at their monthly meeting. (Denials will be explained in writing.) At the May general meeting we will be giving out the awards. The Treasurer sends a check directly to the provider once the completed Provider Invoice (document #4) is received. Then your child enjoys whichever service or activity you have selected! What YOU need to do right away! Fill out the Application (doc #3) and get it turned in NO LATER than April 30, 2014, for the 2014 award. Earn more points between now and April 30, 2014 for the 2014 award! How to Accrue Attendance Points Ten points are awarded for every MVDSA event attended and are given per family (not per individual). Families accruing 90 attendance points and 10 volunteer points in the allotted time (over)

3 #2 will be considered for the maximum Opportunity Award. Those families accruing between 10 and 100 points will be given a corresponding percentage of the maximum Opportunity Award amount. Here is a list of ways to accrue activity points for the 2013 Award year: 10 points awarded per family for every monthly general meeting, monthly board meeting, DADS meeting, Moms Night Out attended 10 points awarded per family for each Teen/Adult group function or Playgroup attended that is sponsored by MVDSA 10 points awarded per family for attending any MVDSA sponsored event (i.e. South Dayton Playgroup, Teen/Adult group function, Summer Picnic, Buddy Walk, Euchre Tournament, fieldtrips) 10 points awarded per family for contributions as requested and approved including gift baskets for the Euchre Tournament, Buddy Walk, or other special events 10 points awarded per individual for attending a committee meeting Volunteer Points In order to receive the maximum award (or for part of the eligibility for an ipad) 10 points MUST come from serving on a committee or another volunteer opportunity that is approved by the MVDSA board. The 90 attendance points can be from the options in How to Accrue Points. ipads The MVDSA Board has approved the use of the OA for the purchase of an ipad to be used by your child with Down syndrome. We had great success with this last year. There are a host of apps (software programs designed for mobile devices like the ipad) that offer great benefits to individuals with special needs: educational programs, games that increase speech or fine motor skills, spelling, math, the list is growing all the time. To some of you this may sound like gibberish: don t worry. There are great (easy!) resources to help you figure out what your child might benefit from the most (for example, visit for reviews of apps specifically for people with special needs). If you are concerned about your ability to understand the device or its operation please contact me. I don t want anyone to miss out on this chance for their child! There are additional eligibility requirements and instructions for this choice of award: Your family must have accrued 100 points to receive an ipad. THIS INCLUDES 10 POINTS FROM AN APPROVED VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY. No partial scholarships will be applied. The child receiving the ipad must be at least three years old by April 30, The cutoff deadline for choosing an ipad for your OA is April 30th, Your family must have been a member of MVDSA for a calendar year by April 30 th, Each child who receives an ipad must wait five years to become eligible for a new one. Please remember that the ipad is FOR THE INDIVIDUAL(S) WITH DOWN SYNDROME. On page two of the application (OA Request) just write ipad in the line Purpose of Request. Further information will be sent to those eligible families who select this option.

4 #2 Other Dates to Remember September 1, 2014 If there is a change in your service provider, please notify the MVDSA office by this date. December 1, 2014 All Provider Invoices (#4) must be turned in by this date. Any unused funds will then go back into the general fund to be used for the next year s requests. Funding The funding for the Opportunity Award comes from donations and fundraisers. Awards are given based on the availability of funds, which varies due to the amount of monies received from donations and fundraisers in a given year. As an example, the awards to those families accruing 100 points for the 2013 Opportunity Award were worth $500. Okay, we ve got an award what do I use it for? Here are some ideas to get you started: ipad if eligible Therapy Connections Love & Learning Private Tutoring Gymnastics Dance Creative Movement Lessons Music Therapy Lose the Training Wheels Bike Camp Educational Material from Superduperinc.com Therapeutic Horseback Riding (hippotherapy) Physical/Speech/Occupational/Behavioral Therapy Summer Camp Exercise Classes Swimming Lessons Rec Center Classes Signing Times videos ABC Pediatric Therapy Organized Sports Stepping Stone Center Therapeutic bike Kindermusik Camp Emanuel Attend the March general meeting to meet some of these providers!

5 #3 Applicant Information Application is due no later than April 30, First Name (Parents/Guardians) Last Name (Parents/Guardians) Address City State Ohio County Zip Code Home Phone # Work # Cell # Person with Date of Birth Down syndrome M/DD/YYYY Other children in your family (Names, Ages) Family Information Describe the family s participation in the MVDSA, including attendance at programs and Fundraisers, as well as current volunteer, committee and/or fundraising activities. If not actively participating in MVDSA activities, please indicate which activities you would be interested in. It is only through the generous volunteer and fundraising activities of our members that programs such as these are possible. Please check below the areas you would be willing to volunteer. Serve on a committee Help with set-up & clean up at Solicit Donations & Prizes for Events Monthly meetings Volunteer at Social Events Serve on the Board Buddy Walk Committee (over)

6 #3 OPPORTUNITY AWARD REQUEST To be filled out by the parent/guardian: Service Provided for (Individual s Name) Purpose of request Service Provider s Name Address City State Ohio Zip Code Website Phone # Dates of Activity with Service Provider to be approved (required) Please return this 2 sided form to: MVDSA, 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 190, Dayton, OH no later than April 30, 2014.

7 #4 PROVIDER INVOICE (to be filled out by Service Provider, must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2014) Service provided for: (Individual s name) Type of service provided: Dates service was provided: Cost per session: Total amount due: Check Payable to: Address: Signature of Provider Date Service Provider please submit invoice and billing statement to: MVDSA 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 190 Dayton, OH Phone: Fax: (This form must be accompanied by a billing statement.)