Newport Beach gala advances funds for support programs

The 2008 “Visions Of Hope For Their Future,” annual dinner gala hosted by Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County (www.dsfoc.org) was held on Sat., Oct. 4th at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach to raise funds to support educational and social programs to improve the lives of people living with Down syndrome.

The gala featured a silent and live auction, dinner and dancing, and provided DSFOC with an opportunity to spread Down syndrome awareness to community members, merchants, and gala attendees, and raise funds to support the development and implementation of its educational, social and support programs.

One highlight of the evening included Down Syndrome Education International’s Sue Buckley visiting from the U.K. to share her experience in raising her adopted daughter with Down syndrome, Roberta, and paint a portrait of the need for local research and training for effective education.

Another highlight of the evening was the exciting promise of DownsEd USA here in Orange County! This, the first Down Syndrome Education and Research Center based in the USA, is a joint venture with DSFOC, and will accommodate expansion of the local foundation’s highly successful Learning Program. The new center based in Orange County is expected to open in early 2009.

Building on successful, evidence-based programs, the new DownsEd center will offer education programs and resources to children with Down syndrome, their families and education professionals across the USA. The center will also conduct and sponsor scientific research focused on practical ways to support cognitive development, language, literacy and math teaching for young people who have Down syndrome.

Down Syndrome Education International is a recognized pioneer of scientific research investigating language, cognition, memory and speech development, literacy, numeracy, and education. For over 30 years, DownsEd International has delivered evidence-based educational approaches that today improve the lives of people living with Down syndrome in over 170 countries.

To learn more about DSFOC, or to donate, please contact Dana Halle, Founder, at [email protected].

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