Archive for 2012

The reviews are in, and Global Down Syndrome Foundation International Spokesman John C. McGinley is getting raves for his performance as Dave Moss in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which had its official opening over the weekend on Broadway.

Congratulations to a wonderful actor and a strong advocate for people with Down syndrome!

Here’s what the critics are saying:

“John C. McGinley is especially dazzling as the hothead who plans the office crime…”

Linda Winer, Newsday

“John C. McGinley steals the show in the first act, as Dave Moss.”

Emma G. Keller, The Guardian

“John C. McGinley steps on the gas pedal … shifting the play into the necessary high gear. As the manipulative intimidating salesman Dave Moss, McGinley spits out Mamet’s curses like angry red flares.”

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

“John C. McGinley is wonderfully vile as Dave Moss, the resentful salesman who gets apoplectic when he thinks of how far behind he’s fallen in the race for sales …”

Marilyn Stasio, Variety

“John C. McGinley, who plays Dave Moss, the employee who hatches the scheme of stealing the leads on prospective customers that office manager John Williamson controls with an iron fist, has explosive moments that raise the production’s pulse.”

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

“The production packs some heat in the performances of Bobby Cannavale and John C. McGinley …”

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

“McGinley is especially fierce, funny and occasionally frightening as Moss. To paraphrase his archrival Roma: Give him some scenery, he’ll show you how to chew it. Nobody acts with his canines like McGinley; after three minutes, you feel intimately acquainted with the inside of his mouth. (I mean this with admiration!)”

Scott Brown, New York Magazine’s Vulture

“… John C. McGinley, the abrasive senior doctor on ‘Scrubs,’ is wonderfully clueless as Dave Moss …”

Mark Kennedy, The Washington Post

“The good news is that John C. McGinley is aces.”

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

“… with notable exception of John C. McGinley, who fumes and foams with expert ease as the hot-­‐tempered, despicable Dave Moss …”

Brian Scott Lipton, Theater Mania

Champion open-water swimmer Karen Gaffney, who received the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award in 2010, has been nominated for the “Woman of the Year” award by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP! Voting for the award is open through Dec. 31, and you can click here to show her your support. The winner will be announced Jan. 1.

The World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year honors the woman who (1) best embodies the spirit of open water swimming, (2) possesses the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and (3) has most positively influenced the world of open water swimming during the year.

In addition to her swimming accomplishments, which include crossing the English Channel as part of a relay team, and swimming the full length of Lake Tahoe, Karen is president of a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion in families, schools, the workplace and the community for people with developmental disabilities. Learn more about the Karen Gaffney Foundation at karengaffneyfoundation.com or on Facebook.

Here is what the World Open Water Swimming Association award nomination says about Karen:

Karen Gaffney is a champion in every sense of the word: a humble heroine, a remarkable role model, a spectacular speaker. The English Channel relay swimmer has dedicated herself and the tools at her disposal to champion a journey to full inclusion in families, schools, communities and the workplace for people with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities. With dramatic open water swims to emphasize one’s potential, as well as her speeches, video tapes and resource materials, she constantly installs hope for others with Down syndrome. Her lifestyle proves a full productive and inclusive life is in store for parents and families of a child born with Down syndrome or other learning disabilities. For her swims across Lake Champlain, Lake Tahoe, in Hawaii and in San Francisco Bay, for her ability to heighten awareness and raise expectations of students, counselors, educators and those in the medical profession of the capabilities of children with Down syndrome to learn, grow and contribute in an inclusive setting, Karen Gaffney is a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.”

Please go to the voting page to cast a ballot for Karen, and spread the word to friends and family to support her as well.

Congratulations, Karen, on your nomination!

Eliza Richard

For the first time, two children from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class will be on stage for the Colorado Ballet production of the holiday classic “Nutcracker,” to the delight of a huge audience.

The Colorado Ballet’s “Nutcracker” will feature performers with Down syndrome on Tuesday, Dec. 18, and Wednesday, Dec. 19, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1101 13th Street in Denver.

Eliza Richard, 10, will be part of the Dec. 18 “Nutcracker,” and Schuyler Kropp, 7, will take to the stage on Dec. 19. Both performances are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Eliza and Schuyler will be partyers who go out on the stage with other children and adults as they celebrate the season.

Schuyler Kropp

The Colorado Ballet is a partner with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Class. The classes run for 10 weeks and teach ballet movement, music appreciation, rhythm and basic dance steps to children ages 5-14 who have Down syndrome.

Go support our dancers while taking in a holiday classic. Tickets to the “Nutcracker” are available by clicking here.

Congratulations, Eliza and Schuyler, and we look forward to seeing you shine in the “Nutcracker”!

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is honored to announce that the 2011 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show has been nominated for six ICON Awards!

The annual ICON Awards are presented by Colorado Expression magazine and honor event excellence in Denver.

People’s Choice voting on the awards is going on now through Dec. 15, and we’d love to have your vote to help promote what a great awareness event the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show is.

Please visit this website to cast your vote:

http://icon.coloradoexpression.com

(You will have to register when you vote, but it’s a quick process and the website won’t spam you.)

The Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show is nominated in the following categories:

• Best Overall Event (Over $75,000)
• Best Event Produced for a Non-Profit Organization
• Best Entertainment Concept & Execution
• Best Design
• Best Invitation
• Best Floral Design

Thanks so much for your support. Please forward this information to your friends and family, and please make sure to vote for the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show!

Kylee Nevergall, right, walks the runway at the 2008 fashion show.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation recently encouraged the friends, supporters and colleagues on our mailing list to update their contact information, and we’re pleased to announce that Michelle Nevergall is the winner of a random drawing for an iPad among those who responded.

Michelle and her husband, Troy, are the parents of 19-year-old Kylee and 17-year-old Dylan. Kylee, who graduated in May from Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colorado, has Down syndrome. Dylan is in his senior year at Arvada West High School.

Kylee was a model in the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s inaugural fashion show, and her parents say she still talks about the experience today.

Michelle says Kylee loves to cook and, most of all, eat. She also loves country music, books and movies. Now that her brother can drive, spending time with him is one of her favorite ways to spend an afternoon. She loves being with her cousins and her grandparents.

“As Kylee enters into young adulthood, we can look back on all that she has accomplished and take pride in the person that she has become and watch with awe at the amazing dreams that she has for her life,” Michelle says. “We can’t wait to see where she is several years from now. Anything is possible!”

Michelle says Kylee is working on using her phone to keep track of her calendar and remind her of appointments.

“As technology continues to improve and become a bigger part of our lives, we feel like it is important for Kylee to know her way around a computer,” she says. “This iPad will be a great tool in teaching Kylee and working on her technology skills.”

Michelle is a former member of the board of directors for the Mile High Down Syndrome Association. She and Troy were involved with new-parent visitations through MHDSA and also ran a parent support group out of their home.

Congratulations to Michelle Nevergall and her family!

Today, Dec. 3, marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and this year’s theme is “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced that the U.N. General Assembly will hold a High-Level meeting on disability and development next year.

“Persons with disabilities have a significant positive impact on society, and their contributions can be even greater if we remove barriers to their participation,” Ban said. “With more than one billion persons with disabilities in our world today, this is more important than ever.”

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a declaration that “even as we partner with countries across the globe in affirming universal human rights, we know our work will not be finished until the inherent dignity and worth of all persons with disabilities is guaranteed. Today, let us renew our commitment to meeting that challenge here in the United States, and let us redouble our efforts to build new paths to participation, empowerment, and progress around the world.”

Events were planned around the world to mark the event. Click here for a listing of some of the awareness-raising activities.

One such event was in Taiwan, where differently-abled children and adults performed over the weekend, showcasing African dance, wheelchair ballroom dancing, and saxophone and jazz drum music.

Chen Yi-ming, who has Down syndrome, performed ballroom dancing with his mother, Hsu Mei-hui.

Hsu told Focus Taiwan news agency that “I hope to show other families with disabled children that these children are capable and not as difficult to teach as imagined. The point is to give them a stage.”

Another story to focus on today involves Glen Niles, a former officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard who co-founded the Down Syndrome Family Network, which gives parents and caregivers of people with Down syndrome access to resources, support and answers.

Read an inspiring question-and-answer article with Niles at Guardian Media.

Thanks to everyone who makes awareness of issues facing the differently-abled a priority, not only today, but every day!

For more information about the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, check out this webpage from the U.N.

The Alzheimer’s Association, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation today launched a new research initiative to better understand the development of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and translate the research into improved treatments for people at risk to develop Alzheimer’s.

The organizations are making a total of $1.2 million available for new research projects, and have issued a Request for Applications (RFA) titled Understanding the Development and Devising Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease in Individuals with Down Syndrome.

“Through this new initiative, we hope to better understand the mechanisms that lead to Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome in order to get us a big step closer to new treatments,” said William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association chief medical and scientific officer. “The eventual goal is to advance the charge toward better Alzheimer’s therapies for people with Down syndrome and for people without it.”

“We’re pleased to have leaders that represent a significant scientific brain trust leading this program, and we are grateful to have the scientific review apparatus and peer reviewers provided by the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

To read the full press release, click here.

Initial $1.2 million aims to fund research to better treat Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome and the general population

CHICAGO & DENVER (November 29, 2012) – The Alzheimer’s Association, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation today launched a new research initiative to better understand the development of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and translate the research into improved treatments for people at risk to develop Alzheimer’s.

The organizations are making a total of $1.2 million available for new research projects, and have issued a Request for Applications (RFA) titled Understanding the Development and Devising Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease in Individuals with Down Syndrome. Letters of intent must be received by February 1, 2013, and applications must be received by March 1, 2013.

“Through this new initiative, we hope to better understand the mechanisms that lead to Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome in order to get us a big step closer to new treatments,” said William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association chief medical and scientific officer. “The eventual goal is to advance the charge toward better Alzheimer’s therapies for people with Down syndrome and for people without it.”

“We’re pleased to have leaders that represent a significant scientific brain trust leading this program, and we are grateful to have the scientific review apparatus and peer reviewers provided by the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Down syndrome occurs in 1 out of 691 infants in the United States and is caused by inheritance of three copies of chromosome 21. In addition to early physical and intellectual challenges, individuals with Down syndrome are at a high risk for developing the symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer’s. People with Down syndrome develop the two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease – amyloid plaques and tau tangles – in their 30s and 40s. Due to improved clinical care, people with Down syndrome are now regularly living into their sixth decade of life, causing many to develop dementia due to Alzheimer’s.

The high incidence of the symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome is thought to be due to the extra copy of chromosome 21, which contains the gene that encodes the amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is cleaved to form the amyloid-beta peptide; the primary component of plaques. It has been presumed that the extra copy of the gene produces an abnormally high amount of amyloid-beta.

The Funding Mechanism

This joint grant-making initiative is designed to enable preliminary pilot research or “proof-of-principle” studies that can provide strong initial data in order for the scientists to then obtain additional research support for larger-scale projects from other funding agencies.

The Alzheimer’s Association and the Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome have identified several potential themes on which researchers may submit projects, including:

• Can Down syndrome animal models provide new insights into the initiation and development of Alzheimer’s?
• Are therapies given before the emergence of dementia symptoms capable of slowing or blocking the development of Alzheimer’s in cellular and animal models of Down syndrome?
• Could early, non-drug interventions not only reduce the early physical and intellectual challenges caused by Down syndrome, but also slow and/or reduce the onset of Alzheimer’s disease?
• Can Alzheimer’s biomarkers be used in people with Down syndrome to identify the earliest onset of Alzheimer’s disease-related changes?
• Can cognitive tests be developed to measure Alzheimer’s-related memory impairment and early dementia in people with Down syndrome?

Proposals will be considered from both senior investigators and new investigators independently. Each Senior Investigator award has a maximum of $300,000 for two to three years. Each New Investigator award has maximum of $150,000 for two to three years. Funding will be awarded by August 30, 2013. For submission criteria, deadlines and other details, contact: grantsapp@alz.org or call 312-335-5747 or 312-335-5862.

More information can be found at: www.alz.org/research/alzheimers_grants/types_of_grants.asp

This innovative funding initiative grew out of a groundbreaking September 2012 workshop cosponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

“The September workshop held by our organizations brought together key scientists from the fields of Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome research,” said Dean Hartley, Ph.D., director of science initiatives for the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are very pleased that one significant outcome of that workshop is this much-needed joint grant-making program that can clearly help both of our populations.”

“Collaborating closely with the Alzheimer’s Association makes perfect sense to us,” added Tom Blumenthal, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Crnic Institute. “Our goal is to foster and fund research that has direct benefit for people with Down syndrome and this joint grants program fulfills that goal.”

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

About the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome is the first medical and research institute with the mission to provide the best clinical care to people with Down syndrome, and to eradicate the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with the condition. Established in 2008, the Crnic Institute is a partnership between the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Children’s Hospital Colorado. Headquartered on the Anschutz Medical Campus, the Crnic Institute includes the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. It partners both locally and globally to provide life-changing research and medical care for individuals with Down syndrome. The Crnic Institute is made possible by the generous support of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, and relies on the Global Down Syndrome Foundation for fundraising, education, awareness and government advocacy. It is a research and medical-based organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy. Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the US committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal. The Foundation organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show – the single largest annual fundraiser benefitting people with Down syndrome. Programmatically, the Foundation organizes and funds many programs and conferences including the Dare to Play Football and Cheer Camps, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series, and Global Down Syndrome Multi-Language Resource Project. The Foundation is an inclusive organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

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