New Horizons May-June 2014

The Arc of Warren County
New Horizons
60 Years!
1954—2014
MAY—JUNE 2014
From the Desk of Robert A. Pruznick, CEO
Excellent Mothers and the Genesis of the Arc Movement
“Oh, what a power is motherhood, possessing/A potent spell. All women alike/ Fight fiercely for a child.” Euripides, 405
It is fitting that we find time during early May to pay homage
to motherhood. As we celebrate nature’s annual vernal exhibition of
glorious fruitfulness, we should also celebrate those women whose
fertility and loving vigilance has guaranteed the survival of humanity.
Regarding the origins of this custom, Wikipedia informs us that:
“The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in
1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton,
West Virginia. She then began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a
recognized holiday in the United States. She was successful in 1914
and by the 1920s. Jarvis' holiday was adopted by other countries and it
is now celebrated all over the world. In this tradition, each person offers a gift, card, or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers,
and/ or maternal figure on mother's day. Various observances honoring mothers existed in America during the 1870s and the 1880s, but
these never had resonance beyond the local level.”
Carolyn Wolf, Bob Pruznick
Within the Arc family there is even greater cause to rejoice on this holiday, since our movement
owes its existence and its continuing success to generations of exceptional women who have unconditionally embraced their offspring. The intense maternal instincts of our founding mothers counteracted both
their obstetrician’s advice to institutionalize as well as the unwelcoming reception they encountered when
they introduced their atypical children to their communities. Pulitzer Prize winning author Pearl Buck led
the way with public revelation of her daughter Carol’s intellectual disability (caused by PKU) in a book
published in 1950 entitled “The Child that Never Grew”. Dale Evans (wife of cowboy star Roy Rogers)
followed suite in 1953 with her memoir, “Angel Unaware”, that focused on her child with Down syndrome. In addition to the invaluable public awareness provided by this beloved television actress, Ms. Evans literally established the national office of The Arc through the donated royalties of this popular book.
(Continued on page 2)
Arc’s Anniversary Celebrations Heating Up!
Everyone loves a good celebration, and The Arc’s family of consumers and their families, staff, and
volunteers are chief among them. We begin with a concert Sun., July 20 from 1-5 pm at Jack’s Barn, Route 31
North, Oxford in which we partner with WNTI Public Radio from Centenary College to raise funds for Arc
programs. Funds raised will help provide a 35th Anniversary Celebration in September for Project First Step.
Next up is our 60th Anniversary Gala, featuring The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Alum performing during an evening cocktail reception at Hawk Pointe on Sat., Nov.1. ABC Radio Network News correspondent Deirdre Bryant will be our Honorary Chair, and we’ll enjoy the music of Michael Long throughout
the evening. This is a black tie-invited affair, emceed by WRNJ’s Russ Long.
Look for ticket information and further details on our website: www.arcwarren.org and listen to
WRNJ/AM 1510 and 92.7 and 104.7/FM, as well as WNTI 91.9 for more information. You also may call
Kevin Guyette in The Arc Foundation Office at 908-689-7525 x212 or email: kguyette@arcwarren.org
WRNJ Radiothon 2014 Sees Another Successful Year!
Hard to believe another—our 24th! - Radiothon has come and gone,
but it’s true. Friday, April 11 saw dozens of VIPs (Very Involved People)
and other volunteers in the showroom of Hackettstown Hyundai, united in an
effort to raise $65,000 in support of Arc services for people with intellectual
disabilities. By then end of the day, we were very nearly at our goal, and contributions continue to flow in.
Many thanks to Norman Worth and Larry Tighe of WRNJ Radio for
their continued support of The Arc and this important fundraiser, and to
News Director Joyce Estey and on-air personalities Dave Kelber and Mike
Radiothon 2014 Chair Maria DiGiovanni
Galley for the wonderful way in which they conducted interviews with families, staff, and consumers of The Arc who stepped up to the microphone to tell their personal stories. ABC Radio
Network News correspondent Deirdre Bryant is to be thanked, as well, for her empathetic and winning interviews
with families and VIPs. WRNJ’s commitment to The Arc and Radiothon, and our gratitude, cannot be overstated.
Special thanks to CJ Meyer of Hackettstown Hyundai for graciously welcoming us to the showroom once
again, and BIG thanks to our Chairperson, Hackettstown Mayor Maria DiGiovanni, who dedicated her day to the
cause. Our gratitude goes to Mama’s Restaurant & Café Baci and Harper’s Bagel & Bake Shop, for feeding our hungry volunteers, and to Donaldson’s Greenhouse and Nursery for donation of a special VIP gift basket.
Most of all, we have the many donors who heard our story and responded generously to thank for the amazing success of Radiothon 2014. From all of us at The Arc—THANK YOU!
(Photo Credit: Cathy Miller 2014)
(Excellent Mothers…… Continued from front)
And above all the combined contribution of Arc mothers across the country stands the Olympian achievements of Dr. Elizabeth Boggs, forged in the sphere of national civil rights and public policy. The first female president of the Association for Retarded Children and an original member of J.F. Kennedy’s Presidential Panel on Mental Retardation, Dr. Boggs pragmatically engineered nearly all the mechanisms for funding our current system of life
span interventions. One day a proper biography will be written to provide adequate acclaim for our pioneering progressive, the heroine of our cause.
Finally, on a personal note, I want to acknowledge my mentor in this wonderful helping profession, whom I
have come regard as my second mother. I have been very blessed to have been introduced to The Arc family by
Carolyn Wolf. Kerry was a past president who rose to Executive Director’s status in the late 1970’s and who providentially offered me a group home manager’s job 33 years ago. Her dedication to those we serve is unparalleled as
is her commitment to excellence in our operations. The productive parent/professional partnership that defines The
Arc, Warren reflects the extraordinary job Kerry has done as the mother of Christopher Wolf. He is a model of potential realized. In turn, her life of loving advocacy has set the bar for my staff by demonstrating how to effectively
nurture those entrusted to our care.
Important Dates to Remember
May 22: Membership meeting and introduction of slate of officers for election. 7 pm Arc offices
May 23: Annual Sports Banquet. Flynn’s on the Hill, Phillipsburg
June 7: Fishing Day at Merrill Creek
July 20: WNTI and Arc Music Festival, Jack’s Barn, Oxford. Music by Michael Long and Acoustic Gumbo members
August 25: Golf Classic. Hawk Pointe Golf Club, Washington.
November 1: The Arc’s 60th Anniversary Gala. Hawk Pointe Golf Club.
Dec.11: Rossi Festival of Trees, Rossi Chevrolet, Washington
Arc Recreation
Services
Recreation News
Carolyn Wolf, Kelly Holzli, Meghan Moyer ~ 908-689-7525 Ext. 208, 209 and 256
Important Newsletter Change: newsletters are now being distributed for a 2-month period so please keep this
one for reference through June 2014. Use the May and June calendars provided to update the information
which you received in your schedules which cover the period of February through June.
All Sports Banquet - Friday, May 23rd at Flynn's on the Hill banquet hall in Phillipsburg. 6:30 sharp - 9:00
pm. Please contact the recreation office to make reservations for this event which honors our athletes, coaches
and volunteers. The cost is $35.00/person, which includes a family style dinner, soft drinks and gratuities.
Fishing Day at Merrill Creek - Saturday, June 7th - check in on-site at 8:15 am. RESERVATIONS MUST BE
MADE THROUGH THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR THIS EVENT AS SPACE IS LIMITED TO
50 PARTICIPANTS. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. The Merrill Creek Association and the Sportsmen's
Association will provide fishing gear, bait and cool drinks for our fishermen and ladies, as well as assistance as
needed. Registrants should come with sunscreen and proper clothing for the weather conditions. Following the
fishing, those attending may enjoy their lunches at the Visitors' Center at around 11:15 am. Transportation
for community folks will be provided on the route 57 corridor.
SONJ Bowling Sectional Singles competition was held March 1. Ten bowlers who won medals at the Area 3 meet
advanced to this competition. Of those 10, 7 advanced to the Spring Sports Festival March 30 in North Brunswick
under the guidance of coaches Laura Murphy and Lou Baldino. Congratulations to our double gold medal winners:
Joe Kaplan, Eric Vaccaro, Joseph Murphy and Deb Stickle and to all the other bowlers who participated in competitions. Team Bowling was held March 29, also in North Brunswick, with Laura Murphy and Carolyn Wolf coaching.
The Rockers (Murphy, Vaccaro, Montgomery) and the Rollers (Fecanin, Bonomo, Slinski, and Wolf) each won gold
medals. Way to go, bowlers!
Basketball Team ended for this season March 16th at the Sectional Competition held at Seton Hall University as the
Stealers sadly failed to win the gold or silver medal required for advancement to the finals. We appreciate their fine
play during the long season and also the outstanding commitment of coaches Costea and Schoener.
Bocce - the Area 3 meet was held at Madison High March 23rd and enjoyed by 12 of our athletes. Thank you to
Camie Marino Colalucci for being the coordinator for Warren Arc on this fun day. Bocce appeals especially to those
persons who are not able to be as active physically as some of our other athletes. It is also a very social activity as
teams compete against one another. Please advise recreation if you would like to be a bocce coach.
Aquatics - the first swim meet of the season occurred April 6th at Lakeland Hills, attended by 13 of our swimmers.
12 of these advanced to the North Sectional meet April 13th at Seton Hall University, coming away with 11 gold, 8
silver and 4 bronze medals in the 24 individual events and 1 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze in the relay events. All 12 of
the swim team members are registered to attend the Summer Games of SONJ, which will be held at TCNJ May 30June 1.
Track and Field Practices were held at Phillipsburg High School track March 22, April 5 and 12 to obtain scores
necessary for registration to compete in the Area 3 meet to be held May 3 at the Hackettstown HS track. 42 Warren
Arc athletes have now been registered for this event which will begin with on-site check-in at 8:15 am and conclude
at approximately 3:30 pm. Kelly Holzli and Meghan Moyer will coach our athletes at Area 3. Of these, 8 athletes
will be advancing to the Summer Games of SONJ for individual events and the relay.
The annual St. Patty's Dance sponsored by the Catholic Daughters, Court Warren, was held Monday, March
17th at the St. Philip and St. James Parish Hall in Phillipsburg. As usual, this was a lively and delightful evening,
with the music of DJ Sharbel and including cake walks, prizes, and dessert. The April Showers Dance was held
April 29th with DJ Mike Patrick entertaining. The final dance of this recreation season, the Spring Fling, will be
held May 13th. Social Club concluded for this recreation season April 22nd and will resume in September when
the new recreation schedule is prepared. The Social Club Picnic at Camp Warren is scheduled for June 17th,
starting at 6 pm and ending at 8:15 pm, with music provided by DJ Sharbel. Recreation will provide hot dogs, drinks
and condiments. Family members are invited to attend, by reservation please, and are encouraged to bring a food or
dessert to share.
(Continued on page 4)
Recreation Services, continued from Page 3
Yoga – for ages 5 and up is a new program this year. The May class will be held 5/19,
ending the current season of yoga sessions. The program is held in the training room of the
Arc office building. Bring your own mats if you have them, as our participant space is limited to the number of available mats. The cost is $5.00/person.
Recreational swimming - concludes for this current season with a session at Centenary
College on 5/7 and at Phillipsburg Middle School on 5/21. Family and friends are welcome to join the program; children 15 and under must be accompanied in the pool by a
care giver. See calendar.
Recreational bowling - please refer to the May calendar for the information on the final 3 bowling sessions for
this season. It is important for those people who wish to participate in the next bowling meet, anticipated for
January 2015, to come out and get scores for their entry average. If the athletes bowl independently during the
summer vacation period, their scores may be reported to the recreation department for averaging.
Healthy Life Club - continues weekly at Meadow Breeze Park, Washington Township, 4-5 pm, weather permitting, otherwise indoors in the Arc office training room.
Camp Warren 2014 Forms: forms have been mailed out to prior campers. If you did not receive a form and
wish to have one, please contact Meghan Moyer in the recreation office. A fill-able form is available on-line at
the Warren Arc web-site www.arcwarren.org. Look under Camp Warren. Please get your forms in as soon as
possible in order to get your preferred time slots and to help our staff in the planning process. Thank you.
Oxford Central Teacher Heads Up Down Syndrome
Awareness Efforts in School
Director of Special Services Milissa Dachisen coordinated a week-long effort
to educate students about Down Syndrome and raise funds for The Arc, leading up to
a special day of activities that included a Buddy Walk on World Down Syndrome Day
March 21. The atmosphere in the school was electric with excitement and friendship.
Students and staff sold and wore T-shirts designed by fifth grader Isabella Gilberti, who won the school’s T-shirt design contest, raising $1500 in support of The Arc. Ms. Dachisen was a guest at our
April 11 Radiothon event and took her turn at the microphone to tell WRNJ’s listeners about their efforts. We were
proud to let everyone know the good things happening at Oxford Central School and we congratulate Ms. Dachisen and
the students on their successful efforts! In photo, Ms. Dachisen is shown on the air with WRNJ’s Mike Galley.
(Photo credit: Cathy Miller 2014)
arc golf classic
mon., august 25
SAVE THE DATE !
MONDAY
August 25, 2014
Hawk Pointe Golf Club
234 Rt.31 South, Washington, NJ 07882
To benefit Arc programs for children and
adults who have intellectual & related
developmental disabilities.
Reservations:
The Arc Foundation
PO Box 389, Washington, NJ
07882
908.689.7525 x 212
$175 per player
Special sponsor packages available.
Hurry! Event sells out early !
Reservations with payment by Aug.10
The Arc of Warren County
319 W. Washington Avenue
Post Office Box 389
Washington, New Jersey
07882
THE ARC FOUNDATION
CHOOSING THE CHARITY THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU
Since 1954,
providing quality
service and support
to people with
intellectual and
related
developmental
disabilities
.
Phone: 908-689-7525
Fax: 908-689-4898
E-mail: info@arcwarren.org
Visit us online:
www.arcwarren.org
There are many worthwhile charities from which to choose and, if you’re the
parent or other family member of someone who has been the beneficiary of Arc services, you might want to learn more about making a gift to this organization that has
meant much to you and your family member.
The Arc is a registered 501c-3 charitable organization, making many of your
gifts tax deductible. That means a gift that is both generous and a sound financial decision. Your tax advisor can help you determine which gifts quality for deduction and
which ones make the most sense for you.
Your gift can take many forms. For instance, you may decide to make a gift
outright, or one that provides income to The Arc in years to come. You may gift cash,
IRSs, qualified plans, annuities, stock or other securities, real estate, or personal property. Only you, your tax advisor or financial planner, and attorney know best.
The Arc Foundation has access to a number of highly-respected professionals
who can answer any questions you may have regarding a gift of cash or other property.
For more information, please contact Arc Foundation Director Kevin Guyette at 908689-7525 x212 or email: kguyette@arcwarren.org.
Please see the enclosed Edward Jones flyer for additional information.