Bounce builds community for chronically ill children and their families. 
Greetings!

A Letter From The CEO

Friends,

January is often a time of reflecting on the past year, new beginnings, and New Year's resolutions. One of our proudest accomplishments of 2016 is welcoming our 100th family into our community. What a milestone and we're just getting started!                         

We pledge to continue to grow and foster our community for chronically ill children and their families this year. Keep your eyes open for more Bounce Bashes every month and the launch of additional Bounce programs! We're also filled with joy as we welcome Lorne Massie as our Program Manager. He's excited to be part of the team and can't wait to meet all of you. Lorne comes with great social service experience supporting kids and families. 

Even with all this excitement, we know the New Year can bring new changes and new challenges especially for those with chronic illnesses. We hope that Bounce will help you navigate those obstacles and provide you with many moments of joy. Our sincere gratitude to each of you for welcoming Bounce into your hearts. We wish you the very best this coming year and hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!

Joan Steltmann, CEO

Bounce Families: Join Us at  a Bounce Bash  on 
 February 4, 2017 at 2pm
Two-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo will be performing an acoustic “storyteller” concert for the Harris Theater Family Series this Saturday at Harris Theater in Millennium Park .

Kidjo, dressed in traditional colorful garments, gives a show with spectacular lighting and upbeat music (guitars and a variety of drum melodies) so festive, kids dance in their seats! After the concert you can even meet Kidjo in-person for photos and autographs! 

As a headliner for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Celebration Kickoff Concert, she'll also discuss the origins of some of the songs, what they mean and the significant moments in her career as it relates to the songs.

To get a sneak peek of Angélique Kidjo in action, click on the video below.

Calling All Kids (and Parents, too!):

We're extending the deadline to name the official Bounce Mascot! 

Bounce is nearly ready to unveil our mascot, but we need a name - and that's where you come in!  

Got a great idea? We need your help! Please share it with us and you could win our grand prize!  

Bounce Bash™ Singular Extreme Actions (SEA) an extreme success  thanks to Harris Theater!
An event so memorable that kids wanted to try out the stunts seen at the show at home ! 

Bounce Bash™ Singular Extreme Actions choreographed and directed by Elizabeth Streb was a one of a kind event that was both energizing and inspiring! Sponsored by Harris Theater, Bounce families enjoyed this action-packed show.

As Eric Fliss, Managing Director of South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, proclaimed "Watching STREB-SEA, from your seat you fly and writhe with each company member as they dare to defy gravity; the audience reaction is a singular response of gasps, relief and applause, all underscored by a fun and funky music score!” 

He was right!  A very special thank you to Harris Theater for making this event possible and providing lots of fun and laughter to our Bounce families as they began 2017!  

Bounce in Motion:
 Bounce strives to meet a real need in the community, just ask Lindsay! 

She says, “There aren’t any other resources that allow families to be together the way Bounce does. In the hospital children and families are taken care of but at home they’re on their own." 


For Bounce Families!
Bounce's 5 Tips for Maintaining New Year's Resolutions
  1. Choose your own resolution. Make sure the resolution or goal is something you truly want to do for yourself - not something you want to do just for your friends or family. This will increase your changes of long-term success and improve your happiness. 
  2. Make a plan and write it down. Plan what you would like to accomplish in a realistic time frame. Consider breaking a larger goal into small components as well as planning for mishaps. This is a great way to keep track of your progress and stay motivated. 
  3. If you get off track, forgive yourself. Sometimes unexpected life events happen. Don't dwell on the past instead just pick yourself back up and try again. Consider making adjustments to your plan as you learn what works for you. 
  4. Involve friends, family, and/or the Bounce community. Allow others to support you in your efforts to reach your goals - a great way to stay accountable and motivated. You might even choose someone working toward the same goal or sharing a similar struggle. 
  5. Congratulate yourself.  Change takes courage. Reward yourself as you make progress toward your goal and when your goal is met. All progress should be acknowledged and celebrated. After all, without all the intermediate steps you will never reach your end goal. 

Have a tip of your own?

Share with your fellow Bounce families via Bounce Net(TM) !

 A Boost from Bounce...
...designed to inspire smiles and foster resilience:

"It's okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes we need to break before we can shine.

- Unknown

From simply surviving to truly thriving - until cures are found!