State

Looking Back on September

2023 Fall Awareness Walks!

Across the state we had well over 5,000 walkers and raised more than $550,000!!

DSAW-Sheboygan
Mini Golf & Walk Fundraiser

Saturday, September 23
Harbor Pointe Mini Golf in Sheboygan

DSAW-Chippewa Valley
Down Syndrome Awareness Walk

Sunday, September 24th
Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls

DSAW Statewide
Down Syndrome Awareness Walk

Sunday, September 24th
Milwaukee County Zoo

DSAW-Green Bay
Down Syndrome Awareness Walk

Saturday, September 30th
Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon

DSAW-South Central

Pillars of Success
THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the DSAW South Central last Pillars of Success Exploring the Ice Age Trail! We partnered with the Ice Age Trail Alliance, who led us on 3 amazing hikes.

DSAW-Fox Cities

Parents Night Out
DSAW families enjoyed a night out at Wilder's Bistro!

Xtreme Air
J U M P to new heights at Xtreme Air! Advocates got the chance to let out a little bit of energy while having some fun with friends and family!

DSAW- Greater La Crosse

Day on the Farm
DSAW Greater La Crosse area enjoyed our 1st Annual Day on the Farm at Hidden Hills in Stoddard. Families enjoyed all of the animals and activities on a beautiful day! Big THANKS to Morgan, our Board President, for making it a great event!

Looking Back on August

As summer winds down, DSAW members took advantage of enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. August was filled with many fun events, including the annual Southeastern Pip & Homer Golf Classic which was a huge success. Read on to find out more about the August event highlights.

Webinars

DSAW hosted 2 webinars in August! You can watch the recorded webinar videos by clicking on the links below.

Heathcare 101: Tips and Helpful Information About Medical Care

Think Health: Healthcare 101: Tips and Helpful Information About Medical Care (Jessica Schuster, MD 8/16/2023)

DSAW Webinar Series Presents: Dementia 101

DSAW Webinar Series Presents: Dementia 101 (Bilingual Dementia Care Specialist, Cristina Huitron 8/30/2023) [Click here for slides]

South Central

Explore House on the Rock

DSAW South Central kept busy with a number of outdoor events, one at House on the Rock. For over 60 years, the House on the Rock has been a majestic work in progress that evolved into a display of an unusual man-made retreat filled with displays and a variety of collections of exotic scenes, built on the rocks with an amazing view! DSAW families enjoyed the nice weather while touring this unique attraction!

Rock County Family Picnic

South Central held it’s Annual Summer Family Picnic on August 6th at Peace Park and Rockport Pool in Janesville! Families brought a dish to pass, for the taco potluck. The afternoon was filled with games, crafts, swimming, food, music, and fun for all ages.

Southeastern

Pip & Homer Golf Classic

The 27th Annual Pip and Homer Golf Classic was a huge success last month! Held at the award-winning Club at Lac La Belle, the event was kicked off by a special guest speaker, Wisconsin Comedian Charlie Berens. We had 140 golfers, 14 additional guests for the dinner, and 21 DSAW staff and volunteers, 6 of whom were self advocates!

View more pictures from the event here

Family Night at Hoyt Park

DSAW Southeastern had around 40 people come out and enjoy an evening of live music, food, drink and conversation with other DSAW families and friends at Hoyt Park! The evening featured the live band, Kinetic, a tight instrumental powerhouse quartet that combines elements of rock, jazz, funk and pop. Everyone enjoyed yummy food and beverages as well that were available for purchase.

KRW

Movie Night in the Park

The Kenosha/Racine/Walworth Chapter enjoyed the last month of summer with a movie night in the park. Families who attended got to watch The Mitchells vs The Machines at Petrifying Springs Park in Kenosha. DSAW provided snacks and everyone had a great time watching this cute movie.

Sheboygan

Garden to Table

Participants of the Garden to Table event went out to Nourish Farms in Sheboygan Falls. At Nourish, we were able to pick vegetables from the garden and bring them back to their kitchen where we prepped the vegetables and made a delicious Bruschetta!
We also did some sailing! DSAW partnered with SEAS, in Sheboygan, and went out on Lake Michigan where the instructors gave some information about how to sail and allowed us to help!

Fox Cities

Evergreen Camping

DSAW Fox Cities had an awesome day at the Evergreen Campsites and Resort in Wild Rose! Despite a little cloudy weather it was a full day of outdoor play: mini golf, giant tic tac toe, enjoying the playground and swimming at the pool or lake. We can’t wait to do it again next summer!

Green Bay

Sensory Night at the Museum

DSAW Green Bay spent an afternoon at the Children’s Museum of Green Bay and had a great time exploring everything the museum had to offer. The Museum helps build social skills for children in a unique, interactive environment like the fire station exhibit.

Chippewa Valley

Beef & Dairy Days Parade

The Chippewa Valley Beef & Dairy Days Parade was a small but fun DSAW event! We had four people pushing a wagon, and the other three participants handed out candy and postcards promoting the upcoming walk and upcoming Chippewa Valley events. We look forward to doing it again next summer!

Central

End of Summer Ice Cream Social

DSAW Central enjoyed an “End of Summer” ice cream social at JoJo's Jungle in Wausau, a state of the art handicapped playground for children with disabilities. DSAW provided the ice cream, whipped cream, caramel, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, cherries & water. The families enjoyed the day's festivities and the kids LOVED the ice cream!

Looking Back on July 2023

Southeastern

Down Home BBQ

The Down Home BBQ is a favorite event for both DSAW families and staff! This year we had over 230 people attend! Brats and burgers prepared by our amazing grill team were served with pasta salad, fruit, cookies, and other desserts that were enjoyed by everyone. We also received a surprise donut donation from Grebe’s Bakery. Throughout the day, kids had a lot of fun with splash painting, playing in the water games/inflatable water slide area, yard game area which included hula hoops, cornhole, a bubble table, SHAW hockey and more, and dancing to live music by Hot Off the Grill. We appreciate everyone who came and the 30 volunteers who helped make it happen, and look foward to another great BBQ next summer!

KRW

Kingfish Game

KRW ended the month with a Kingfish Game! It was a fun and cozy evening as DSAW families gathered to watch the game. Although our team didn’t win, everyone had a good time watching the game and cheering the Kingfish’s on!

Green Bay

Family Fun Night at Bay Beach

Families had a great time at our family event on Tuesday night, July 18. DSAW provided each family with 25 ride tickets and a sweet treat. It was a perfect night to enjoy the rides and connect with friends! We look forward to doing it again next summer with even more friends!

South Central

Golf Outing 2023

South Central's 2023 Golf Outing was a huge success! We had about 130 golfers, 40 volunteers, and others that attended the program and dinner. It was a very warm and humid day for golf but everyone still had fun with the golf hole games and enjoyed stopping by the hole serving up Tito's. 

Adventure at Timbavati Wild Life Park

South Central also had a fun safari Day at Timbavati Wildlife Park! The park, located in Wisconsin Dells, offers a family-friendly, immersive experiences in a beautiful environment. It is home to over 400 animals that represent over 75 different species. We had a blast hanging out with all the animals and riding the train as we toured the park.

Central

Splash & Swim Outing

The 2nd annual Splash & Swim Outing was a fun day in the sun at the Weston Aquatic Center. Everyone enjoyed the day playing and splashing in the pool. The families were able to have great conversations, eating cupcakes, and the frosting even turned some mouths & tongues blue!

Chippewa Valley

Trinity Equine Therapy Day

Chippewa Valley families had a fun day at Trinity Equine Therapy getting to experience how amazing horses are. The afternoon was spent being introduced to horses, bonding with them, brushing them, and even doing an obstacle course. They had 4 horses and 2 ponies for us to interact with, as well as several workers helping, including an individual with Down syndrome.  With some snacks and painting after, it was an amazing day for everyone who attended!

Fox Cities

Timber Rattler Game

DSAW Fox Cities had a wonderful night at the Timber Rattler game on Saturday, July 29th during the debut of the Timber Rattler alternate identity, The Shantymen. It was a beautiful night of warm weather and a slight breeze, sitting in seats along the third base line we had fantastic views of all the happenings on the field. While the "Shantymen" weren't able to pull out the win the fireworks after the game made the loss a little more bearable. 

La Crosse

Milwaukee Burger Co.

As a newer and growing DSAW chapter, we were excited to have seven families attend our Dine & Donate at Milwaukee Burger Co. event. Everyone had a good time enjoying delicious food and Board Members who were present attended the door handing out La Crosse July/August event Flyers. During the three hour event, $214 was raised! A big THANK YOU to everyone who came and we look forward to doing more together!

Looking Back on June

June was a busy and bustling month with summer events going on throughout each chapter and a new fundraiser DSAW was honored to be selected to receive proceeds from. Read on to find out more!

Run with Angels 5K Run/Walk sponsored by The Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery

The Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin-Sheboygan (DSAW) was honored to be the 2023 Race Beneficiary for the Seventh Annual Run with Angels 5K Run/Walk sponsored by The Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery. The event featured an elegant Five Course Wine & Food Pairing Dinner on Thursday, June 8 followed by the 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, June 10. A custom labeled bottle of wine, Blind Horse wine glass, t-shirt, and race swag bag were given out to participants. The event was a huge success and we’re grateful to the many hand that helped organize and make it happen!

Chippewa Valley Farm Tour

Since June was National Dairy Month, DSAW-Chippewa Valley decided to celebrate by attending a fun farm tour at Marieke Gouda in Thorp, WI! Families got to see a milking Parlor, cow spa barn, and cute calves. We also were able to watch how they delicately handcraft Marieke® Gouda and try some samples. After the tour, we relaxed by enjoying a nice ice cream cone!

Milwaukee Brewers Outing 2023

Summer is baseball season! DSAW filled up June with several baseball events including a 2023 Milwaukee Brewers Outing! Chapters throughout the state were invited to join and we had a big turn out with a lot of fun tailgating, playing games, and watching the baseball game together!

Looking Back on May

May was an exciting month as we got to kick off summer events and participate in a conference attended statewide! Read on to find out more!

Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference

DSAW’s President & CEO Dawn Nuoffer was one of seven guest speakers at the Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

The goal of the conference is to have Peer-to-peer dialogue around employing neurodiverse individuals in an effort to change the perception of attendees to become receptive in looking at different pools of talent that may include individuals with neurodiverse abilities.

 

Southeastern Cino de Mayo Event

Thank you to our DSAW Cinco de Mayo bowlers and their families for coming out to Village Bowl in Menomonee Falls on Friday, May 5th. We all had an absolute blast!!

GiGiFIT's 1-mile walk/5k run/dash

It was awesome to see so many DSAW families at GiGiFIT's 1-mile walk/5k run/dash at Lake Park. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for a beautiful day and helped make it a smashing success!

Looking Back on April

April was full of more successful events! Here’s some of the fun things DSAW staff and members were able to do!

Rad Rec Group

Our Rad Rec Group enjoyed a couple of fun events this month. Rad Rec events occur throughout the community at many of our local partnerships in Southeastern WI. This month a fun afternoon was spent at the Majestic in Brookfield to watch the movie, “Champions”, a movie with a great message and featuring individuals with Down syndrome. Another day was spent with peers practicing social and community skills at the Domes and then playing card games at the DSAW office.

Play Day at Monkey Joe’s

DSAW families and kids had a great time coming out to play at Monkey Joe's in Waukesha this month! Kids had fun exploring and playing on giant inflatable jump to slick slides, rockin’ arcades, and jungle playgrounds. There were plenty of smiles to go around!

Self- Advocates hard at work

We love our self-advocates, employments services, and the job coaches that support them! This duo is a team: Reini Ruiz (taller) and Nyan Krumree. They work at Neu Tools in New Berlin and are two amazing young men! They were recognized by DSAW’s Job coach Stephanie Gross in April.

DSAW-Sheboygan "Run With Angels" Event A Huge Success!

DSAW-Sheboygan was chosen to be the beneficiary of the Run with Angels Dinner and 5K. This yearly event is hosted by the Blind Horse in Kohler in memory of the General Manager's daughter who passed away in 2015. DSAW participants were able to honor an individual with Down syndrome or a loved one who they’ve lost. The walk/run in their honor allowed family members to be surrounded and supported by so many others who share in a similar journey.

The June 8, Thursday night dinner included both a voice and silent auction. Then on Saturday, June 10th the 5K run/walk was open to the community and provided a great space to showcase our organization. It was heartwarming to see the love and support that there is in our community for our mission!

Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference

Dawn Nuoffer, President/CEO of DSAW was one of seven presenters at the Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at Engauge Workforce Solutions in Menomonee Falls, WI. The conference attendees included business leaders who were looking for information on hiring neurodiverse individuals for openings in their workforce.  The conference also featured business leaders who have expanded their talent base to include individuals with neurodiverse talent. 

Presenters Included:
Peter Rathmann, CEO of Allis Tool & Machine Corp
Emma Rathmann – Prolec GE – Waukesha Electric
Corryn Manderfield, HR – Wisconsin Metal Parts
Katie Malnight, Chief Operating Officer of Engauge Workforce Solutions
Anny Kerr, Production Recruiting Manager – Rockwell Automation
Dawn Nuoffer, CEO of Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin Goldhmong Vang, Director – MATC Uniquely Abled Academy

The goal of the conference was to have peer-to-peer dialogue around employing neurodiverse individuals. Attendees heard testimonials on the benefits and value of hiring people with neurodiversity’s.

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Syble Hopp student featured in Times Square for Down Syndrome Awareness Month

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Our friend Preston Taylor was featured on screens in Times Square on Sept 17, 2022, thanks to National Down Syndrome Society! The video presentation, featuring 500 self-advocates from across the country, and was live-streamed on their Facebook page at 8:30AM that same day. Our friend Norman from the Milwaukee area will be featured as well! To watch the whole story, follow the link:

Syble Hopp student featured in Times Square for Down Syndrome Awareness Month | WLUK (fox11online.com)

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Local teenager with Down Syndrome wins body building pro card!

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Our friend Fiona Daniels took home second place in two categories at her first national bodybuilding competition! Fiona is also the first teenager with Down syndrome in the country to earn a pro card in bodybuilding. Congratulations Fiona!! For the full story follow the link below:

Local teenager with Down Syndrome takes 2nd in national bodybuilding competition (news8000.com)

 

Looking Back on September 2022

Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! For now, we are looking back at a busy September! We hosted four of our eight Down Syndrome Awareness Walks last month and had a great time celebrating our Down syndrome community. Our fall programs began, and participants were busy with Skills Training Academy, Rad Rec Events, and more! Read on to learn all about it!

Down Syndrome Awareness Walks

This September, we had four of our Down Syndrome Awareness Walks in Central Wisconsin, Green Bay, Chippewa Valley, and the Statewide Down Syndrome Awareness Walk at the Milwaukee County Zoo! Each year, DSAW hosts eight Down Syndrome Awareness Walks across the state of Wisconsin, drawing more than 8,000 walkers, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and partners across the State under one collective mission – to raise awareness and promote inclusion, diversity, and acceptance of people with Down syndrome in our communities and in our lives. We are immensely proud of the success of our Walks this year — check out photos from the four September Walks below!

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Summit

Our President and CEO Dawn Nuoffer appeared at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's Wisconsin Economic Summit to speak about Building a Robust Workforce. Dawn emphasized that many statistics demonstrate how incorporating more people with disabilities into the workforce benefits everyone!

Skills Training Academy

Our fall programs began at the start of September, and Skills Training Academy in Southeastern WI is happy to be back! Skills Training Academy participants are using the My Full Life curriculum platform to track and log their progress on skill-building in the following areas: Connections, Fun & Talents, Wellness, Getting Around, My Place, Community Engagement, Earning My Way, and Lifelong Learning.

Wellness 360

Wellness 360 also returned in Southeastern Wisconsin this September! This course works on Daily Living Skills while bringing a wide range of recreational activities to people of all abilities ages 18+. So far, Wellness 360 has visited a honey farm, play pickleball, made fresh apple pies, gone hiking, and more!

Small Groups

Our Respite Small Groups are having a great time this fall! In September, we went mini golfing and played billiards! One of our Friday groups also joined the Rad Rec Events group for a dance party!

Rad Rec Events

Participants in our Rad Rec Events series have been very busy — going bowling, watching DC League of Super-Pets at the theater, painting Kindness Rocks, attending Glow Night and competing in a rowing contest to raise money for adults with disabilities, apple picking at Apple Holler and dancing at Lifetime Fitness followed by lunch at the Olive Garden. Everyone is making friends and having fun in the community!

Looking Back on July 2022

We’re looking back at July! It’s been a busy month! We’ve hosted meet-up events, social events, and fundraising events across the state! Our EXTRAordinary Camps have been taking full advantage of the summer and celebrating Carnival Week and Shark Week, among other themes. We now have 10 small groups running every week in Southeastern WI! Read on for all the details!

Fox Cities Park Meet-Up

DSAW-Fox Cities had our 2nd summer park meet-up at the Sherwood Splash Pad this month! It was a bit cool for the kids at the splash pad, but everyone still had a great time. Our next meet-up is on August 20th at Erb Park!

South Central Small Group!

DSAW-South Central has started our first-ever in-person small group, and they are quite the musical talents! We are excited to continue the growth of our services in the greater Madison area. Email katieg@dsawfamilyservices.org if you are interested in more information on what’s coming to South Central WI!

South Central Golf Outing

DSAW-South Central also held an extremely successful Golf Outing this July at The Oaks Golf Course. Golfers had the chance to beat WKOW's senior chief meteorologist Bob Lindmeier on a hole to be entered into a prize drawing. You can read more about it at WKOW 27! It was a wonderful day of golfing in support of DSAW -- special thanks to all of our staff and volunteers that made it possible and to our attendees and sponsors for their support!

Southeastern WI Down Home BBQ

This July, we hosted our annual Down Home BBQ at DSAW HQ in West Allis. It was a great summer day filled with food, music, games, water fun, crafts, and more! We are so grateful to our volunteers that made the day run smoothly!

Southeastern WI Milwaukee Milkmen Game

This month, DSAW had a perfect day to be featured as the Milwaukee Milkmen non-profit of the game! We gathered at Franklin Field to watch the Milkmen take on the Sioux City Explorers, and our friend Nate threw out the first pitch and got it right over home plate!

EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp!

Our North Camp has been filled with lots of fun and learning! We’ve had field trips to the science museum, the beach, wetland reserve, and bowling! Participants have been making paper, lemon volcanoes, painting, swimming, and much more.

We had so much fun at MKE camp this month! Week one in July was Carnival Week where all participants got to play different carnival games, make their own snow cones, and got to be apart of an Improv performance with Bob Orvis. Week two for this month was Shark Week where they learned about all different kinds of sharks and summer safety, learned about big emotions, played pin the fin on the shark, and played shark volleyball. Week three was Games Galore where they learned about respect, decision-making skills, and got to play a lot of different games. The last week for this month is Water Week where they got to have a water day at DSAW, water gun painting, water balloon fight, sponge relay races, played duck duck splash, and so much more!

East Camp is having SO much fun playing games, celebrating Carnival Week & Shark Week, and our second field trip to the waterpark! We invited in some new friends this month to our camp and taught them all about teamwork and being a good sport!

Rad Rec Events

We have been having a blast in our Rad Rec events which included Improv with Bob Orvitz, a Chinooks baseball game, swimming at Muskego Park and at Ingleside indoor waterpark, hiking at Lapham peak, bowling and a dance party at Lifetime Fitness. Thank you to all who participated and to the staff who have helped with the fun!

Social Skills Group

Social Skills groups this month learned how friendships are like flowers and then visited the Milwaukee Domes, learned about respect and then played outdoor games at the office, learned about lifting up their friends while knocking down pins at the bowling alley, and learned about the importance of quality time while hanging out with their friends at the local park!

Small Groups

We now have 10 small groups up and running each week! Our small groups have been busy with art projects, playing pool, picnics in the park, bowling, mini golfing and more! Want to get involved with a small group? Contact info@dsaw.org for more info!

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Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin
Telephone: 414-327-3729
Fax: 414-327-1329
Email: info@dsaw.org

 

Headquarters Mailing Address
1214 Kavanaugh Place
Wauwatosa, WI 53213

Headquarters Office Hours:
The DSAW office is open most days for programs and classes. DSAW staff is currently working in a mixture of in-person and remote work, so please call or email to set up an appointment before stopping by!

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