Thank You!
Together we raised over $5,000, which when matched by our Board of Directors will provide over $10,000 towards our programming.
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#GivingTuesday is not just about giving money, it's also about giving your time and talent to a project or an event that matters to you. We help bring new ideas to life by raising money to support our members - like the money we raised on Giving Tuesday. We collaborate with our members to secure space for meetings and events, promote the events and provide the administration that allows for the excellent delivery of your dream - in person or virtually.
This is YOUR FOUNDATION and its success is up to each one of us. Think about how you'd like to get involved - we have many opportunities that do not just require giving money! We give because together we are better!
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Did you know? In 2021 we started 2 new programs: iCan! Surf and Young Explorers Club (1st - 6th grade). We also became a Vocational Rehab Vendor which allowed us to take our iCan! Work partnership with Orlando Health and Quality One Wireless to a new level.
In 2021, we also held our first Tour of Champions - Isleworth Golf Tournament which raised an additional $26,000 to support our goals of meaningful employment. Right now, we are gearing up for our first New Parent Breakfast/Tea in January and hope to launch a program for siblings after the beginning of the year. Each of these initiatives came to life because parents like YOU saw a need in our community and asked, 'What can I do?'
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A BIG thank you to our FOUNDATION families, supporters and Board of Directors! We appreciate your efforts raising funds and creating new opportunties. Together we are better!
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December
- Sunday, December 5 - Lucky Littles & Young Explorers (family) Play Date at the Central Florida Zoo (1:00pm-4:00pm)
- Thursday, December 9 - Bowl -a-thon 101: Best practices in FUNdraising with tips and tricks from successful teams (Zoom)
- Saturday, December 11 - It's a Wonderful Life - Winter Wonderland Holiday Party!
- Monday, December 13 - Bowl-A-Thon Committee Meeting (7:00pm - Zoom)
- Tuesday, December 14 - iCan! Work Info Meeting - Recruiting for Spring Program (7:00pm - Zoom)
- Sunday, December 19 - T21 White Elephant Holiday Party at The Strang's Residence (1pm - 4pm)
- Monday, December 20 - Club 321 Kick Ball Holiday Party near downtown Orlando (1pm - 4pm)
- Magic Game Volunteer Opportunities: December 15, 17, 23, 28, 30
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Weekly Programs
- Mondays - iCan! Work Lunch and Learn (1:45pm)
- Tuesdays - Virtual Zumba with Elyse (4:00pm - 5:00pm)
- Wednesdays - Virtual Club 321 (4:00pm-5:00pm)
- Thursdays - Virtual T21 Social Network (18+) (4:00pm-5:00pm)
January 2022
- January 26-29 Oral Motor Evaluations
- Saturday, January 29, 2022 -New Parent Tea @ Citrus Club
February 2022
- Sunday, February 27, 2022 - 12th Annual Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon
Don't want to miss out on our events?
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Zoo Play Date for Lucky Littles & Young Explorers (and families) |
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Date: Sunday, December 5
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
3755 W. Seminole Blvd. Sanford, FL 32771
Calling all Lucky Littles (birth - six) & Young Explorers (first grade - sixth grade)! Gather the family and join us on Sunday, December 5th for some fun in the beautiful cool Florida weather at the zoo! It's too nice to stay inside! These are the days we LOVE as Floridians! Pack a snack and put on your walking shoes. The FOUNDATION will cover the entrance fee for immediate family members.
Thank you to Claudia and Suzanne for hosting!
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New Bowl-A-Thon Incentive!
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Walk through the dreams of Vincent Van Gough!
Our next Bowl-A-Thon incentive is an ever-so-unique experience!
Enter to win four (adult) tickets to the limited showing of the Immersive Van Gough Experience while it is at the Orlando Convention Center on Saturdday, January 8 at 6pm.
To learn more about the VanGough Experience, click here.
Here's how it works:
- Donors will earn 1 entry for every $20 donated.
- Team Captains will earn 1 entry for every $100 raised.
*Incentive runs from December 4-17*
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It's GOUGH time!
Register your 2022 BOWL-A-THON team TODAY!
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Bowl-A-Thon 2022 – How do they do it?
Best Practices in FUNdraising!
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Do you ever wonder - HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Join us on ZOOM for an interactive session that will
not only help you set up your 2022 team, but you'll also
get tips and tricks from members who have been successful
raising money for the Bowl-a-thon.
Date: Thursday, December 9th
Time: 7:00pm-8:30pm
Location: Zoom
By joining us on December 9th, you will have the opportunity to hear from Daisy Arroyo and work with Robin on getting your team and plan ready for the holiday season!
Do not miss out on this amazing tutorial! We will be walking you through step by step and answering your questions as we go as we show you:
- How to create your team for the 2022 Bowl-A-Thon
- How to link your Qgiv team to a Facebook fundraiser
- How to use a text to give code for your donors
- How to email your contacts through Qgiv
You'll hear from our social media guru, Carla on how to promote your team and share your story! You'll also learn from other parents who have reached their fundraising goals in the past and find out how to share your story!
This event will be bilingual!
¡Este evento será bilingüe!
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Night of wonder...and magical memories!
We could not be more excited to be back at the Rosen Plaza this year! Our holiday party is something we look forward to every December - it's the perfect way to connect with friends and family as we close the year. We will have light appetizers, music and dancing - and, of course, a visit from Santa himself!
Saturday, December 11th
6pm - 9pm
RSVP is Required by December 7th
(Immediate family only.)
We are almost at capacity! You must have a confirmation to attend.
Happy holidays from all of us at The FOUNDATION!
We look forward to celebrating with you!
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Strike DOWN Barriers!
Join our 2022 Bowl-A-Thon Committee
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Want to make a difference while socially-distanced? Join the Bowl-A-Thon Committee, we meet through Zoom!
Bowl-A-Thon Committee Members, our last virtual meeting was a huge success! We brainstormed and got the ball rolling on planning this amazing event. Thanks to you, we will have the most successful Bowl-A-Thon ever!
We are looking for individuals that are committed to making a difference and can help with the items below:
- Securing auction items (and packaging them in January)
- Registering teams for the Corporate Cup Challenge
- Working with businesses to set up Easy as 1-2-3 Fundraisers
- Setting up Spirit Nights with teams and families
- Corporate Sponsorships
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Our next meeting is virtual through Zoom on:
Monday, December 13th at 7:00pm
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Check our private Facebook page for the information about upcoming meetings and opportunties or contact Robin.Longley@dsfflorida.org. |
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iCan! Work - Information Session
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Date: Wednesday, December 14
Time: 7pm (on Zoom)
Join us to learn about another one of The FOUNDATION's amazing programs! Our iCan! Work program is designed to help transition individuals with Down syndrome into the workplace.
We will discuss the program structure, how to apply, opportunities that increase an individual's chances of success, and answer all of your questions. In order to participate in the iCan! Work Program, an individual must: have Down syndrome, be registered with Vocational Rehabilitation, have reliable transportation to their assigned worksite, and be finished with school or other transition programs. All are welcome to attend this event, but you must RSVP. Come learn how you can get your son/daughter started on the path to a fulfilling career.
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T21 White Elephant Holiday Party
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Date: Sunday, December 19
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Location: Lake Nona (address will be sent with confirmation)
Join in the fun! Bring a wrapped $10 gift (can be new or something that maybe isn't getting used but is in new condition at home) and participate in the gift exchange. This is a very common holiday party theme and something fun to learn about with friends. You may get something you LOVE - but you may also end up with something a bit strange. The idea is to have fun with friends!
Also bring a potluck item, your swimsuit, and a towel, we will be celebrating the holidays Florida style! Thank you to The Strang Family for opening their home to our T21 Social Network for what is sure to be a great afternoon of memory making and fun!
T21 Social Network is for our members 18 years and older. It is a drop-off program (sorry - parents are not invited.)
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Club 321 Holiday Kickball & Picnic Party
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Date: Monday, December 20
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Location: Downtown Orlando (address will be sent with confirmation)
Attention Club 321 (middle and high school members) let's get together and have fun with an afternoon playing kickball and enjoying a picnic with friends during the holiday break!
Be sure to RSVP by Sunday, December 19th, so we can plan accordingly. Thank you!
Club 321 is for our members in middle and high school. It is a drop-off program (sorry - parents are not invited.)
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Cheer on the Magic as a volunteer! |
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Why do we volunteer at the Magic games? |
The FOUNDATION works with Levy Resturaunts at the Orlando Magic games to provide hospitality experience for the adults in the iCan! Work program. We volunteer alongside our members with Down syndrome, who are paid to work at the games if they are in our iCan! Work program, to raise funds for the program. Our volunteer hours generates over $20,000 each season to help fund this program.
Members 18 and older are welcome to volunteer. We encourage our young adults to try it out! This is a fun way to gain some work experience while enjoying the energy in the Amway Arena. Individuals with Down syndrome may volunteer. We request that they volunteer the first 3-5 shifts with a family member. If they like it, they can apply for the iCan! Work program and get paid for their shifts.
This is a great way for our members to meet the 'active member' requirement for our scholarships - and have fun at the same time! It's a win-win-win - and hopefully a win for the Magic when you're there!
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We still need volunteers for the following games:
Dec 15
Wed • 5:00pm-9:00pm
Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
Dec 17
Fri • 5:00pm-9:00pm
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
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Dec 23
Thu • 5:00pm-9:00pm
New Orleans Pelicans at Orlando Magic
Dec 28
Tue • 5:00pm-9:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic
Dec 30
Thu • 5:00pm-9:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic
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Shop for the holidays and help others. |
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Last quarter The FOUNDATION raised $998 from shoppers like you!
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Amazon Smile is the perfect way to help support The FOUNDATION while you shop this holiday season. This only takes 2 mintues to set up and then you give every time you shop on Amazon - it's that easy!
- Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchase to the charity of your choice through Amazon Smile.
- Amazon Smile is the same Amazon you know. Same prices, products and services.
Ready to shop 'til you drop while supporting INCLUSION?
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Visit smile.amazon.com and log into your Amazon account.
- Select "Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida" as your charitable organization.
- Enjoy shopping and thank you for supporting The FOUNDATION!
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As the year wraps up, we reflect on our blessings and we cannot help but feel extra thankful for our amazing community members. We want to make sure everyone has a holiday season filled with good food and even better laughs.
The FOUNDATION continues our tradition of providing food and gift items for our families who need assistance.
If your family would like to receive the ingredients for a holiday dinner or assistance with purchasing gifts, please click on the request button below, fill out the form and we will be in touch with you.

Please submit requests for holiday assistance by
December 11th
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Oral Motor Therapy - Register Now! |
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Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) uses a hierarchical based approach to improve speech clarity and feeding skills in individuals of all ages and across diagnoses. These innovative techniques focus on motor movement activities used to improve phonation, resonation, and speech clarity. Combined with a tactile-sensory approach, OPT provides a comprehensive solution to a variety of speech and feeding issues. OPT involves the use of therapy tools to train and transition muscle movements for speech production. Our techniques, applied in combination with the tools, make the difference in client’s lives.
The FOUNDATION offers traveling clinics to provide oral placement evaluations and program development. This program is highly beneficial, however, the evaluation is a one time visit that provides an outline for an on-going program that must be implemented by a parent or speech therapist on a daily or weekly basis.
Parents are required to view the second video on the page - "Parents' Guide to Talk Tools" to be eligible for an Oral Motor Therapy Scholarship.
Next Evaluations will be: January 26-28, 2022
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Welcome Baby! Welcome Family! |
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We are very excited to announce that in January, we will be hosting our first new Family Breakfast and we cordially invite you to participate in our "Welcome Baby! Welcome Family!" Breakfast.
We like to think that making friends at The FOUNDATION is like having a warm cup of tea.... it may seem odd to think total strangers will 'just get me' - until they do! We consider members our FOUNDATION family because everyone here will love you, your child and the rest of your family almost as much as you do! We want to see you all succeed. Our goal is to provide a strong foundation of information, resources, programs, and friends.
Come meet other new parents and some of our members. This is a very relaxed breakfast / tea to introduce you to our organization and see how we can support you and your family.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Citrus Club 255 S. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801
(Parking is available in the parking garage and will be covered by The FOUNDATION. Please take a ticket on your way in.)

Please RSVP by January 25
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Virtual Zumba with Elyse!
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When: Every Tuesday
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Virtual meeting using Zoom - can be found below, on our private Facebook page, MeetUp, or by emailing
Erin.Goding@dsfflorida.org
Elyse Mundelein will be teaching a virtual Zumba class! We will post the Zoom information of the event below or on our private Facebook page. No experience needed, just get ready to dance and have fun!
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Join our Club 321 virtual meet-up for middle and high-schoolers! |
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When: Every Wednesday
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Virtual meeting using Zoom - can be found below, on our private Facebook page, MeetUp, or by emailing
Erin.Goding@dsfflorida.org
This is a great opportunity for our middle and high school group to socialize, engage, and connect with each other. We'll have something new and different each week!
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Virtual T21 Social Network (18+)
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When: Every Thursday
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Virtual meeting using Zoom - can be found below, on our private Facebook page, MeetUp, or by emailing
Erin.Goding@dsfflorida.org
This is a great opportunity for our adult group to socialize, engage, and connect with each other. We'll have something new and different each week!
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Let's get social!
Follow us on social media for more information and to stay up-to-date on our upcoming events.
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