Good News Friday!

Last Friday, Imagine! hosted the 14th Annual Imagine! Celebration. By all measures, it was a tremendous success.

Almost 470 people attended (a new record for attendance), and between sponsorships, ticket sales, a silent auction, a live auction, and a special appeal, more than $285,000 was raised to support Imagine!’s mission!

If you weren’t able to attend, or want to learn more, please enjoy the videos and photos in this post.

The video below debuted at the Celebration. It tells the powerful and moving story of Emily Micklin, and why her family, including Patti Micklin, Executive Director of the Imagine! Foundation, is grateful for the support they receive from Imagine!. Get your tissues out!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Below are a few videos from the event itself.

First up, Walt Pounds, the President of the Board of Directors of the Imagine! Foundation, gave his opening remarks and introduced many of the special guests who attended the Celebration.

  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Next, George Karakehian, Boulder City Council Member, unofficial “Mayor of Pearl Street," and great friend of Imagine!, was honored for his service by Sandy Bracken, Ron Secrist, and Walt.

  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Finally, Walt took some time to honor businesses that provide employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source program.

Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Below are just a few photos from the spectacular event.

Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Patti Micklin and Imagine! Celebration Chair Katie Hawkins.

 Leona and Bernie Stoecker.

 Andy and Connie Minden with Imagine! Foundation Grant Writer Christina Craigo.

Bella Cotton and Zoe Polk, who created the fabulous table decorations.

Longmont Mayor Dennis Coombs.

Rick and Jackie Nelson.

Gail and Tim Boonstra.

The silent auction brought in more than $26,000!

Lisa Larsen and Bella Auger-Larsen. Bella receives services from Imagine! and serves on the Imagine! Board of Directors.

Imagine! Chief Operations Officer Greg Wellems, David and Laura Braddock, and me.

Geoff Cooper, Josie and Rollie Heath.

Attendees were able to bid on silent auction items using their smartphones.

Volunteers traveled around the room assisting with silent auction bidding.

Almost 470 people attended the event, a new record for the Imagine! Celebration.

George Karakehian was honored for his service to Imagine! by Sandy Bracken, Ron Secrist, and Walt Pounds.

George Karakehian shows off the lovely thank you gift he received from the Imagine! Foundation.

The live auction brought it more than $50,000!

The Micklin Family (Jacob, David, Patti, and Emily) shared their story through a powerful and moving video, which demonstrated how important Imagine! is to its community.

Finally, thank you to all of the sponsors of the event.

 Click on the image for a larger view.

Out & About With . . . The Unexpected Laboratory

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge The Unexpected Laboratory for its support of Out & About. The Unexpected Laboratory is a unique non-profit acting group based out of Boulder that combines music, dance, and movement to create fun and challenging acting programs. The focus is to become aware of the body’s movements and find new ways to express oneself through imagination and self-exploration.

Last August, participants in Out & About’s Friday Night Out program took on acting and self-expression in a workshop style format with “The Unexpected Laboratory” as its host and facilitators. The night was a success, with Out & About participants digging deep into their creative minds and creating short plays to share with their peers. Groups of four developed a plot based on a hero, villain, damsel, and sidekick. Participants cheered each other on in support of the groups’ plays!

Thank you, Unexpected Laboratory, for your support of your community and all of its members.

Being Mindful

Today, I’d like to talk about being mindful.

Even through the internet I can hear some of you thinking, “Oh, great, Mark has finally gone full ‘Boulder’ and all of his blog posts from now on will be about meditation, tofu, granola, and Priuses.” But hold on – I’m not using the term in the spiritual, “Boulder” sense.

Instead, I’d like to use the term as a foundation to think about how we fund and deliver I/DD services in our state. I believe we need to use mindfulness as we work to create a new system here in Colorado. Let me explain further. I do believe that as our system has evolved and changed, decent people with good intentions have taken a thoughtful approach to system redesign. I also believe that being thoughtful isn’t enough. In my view, thoughtfulness only takes you part of the way. To me, thoughtfulness connotes a level of caring or concern, but not necessarily a full and complete look at an issue.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, implies to me a sense of looking a problem (and potential solutions) from every possible angle and in a way that all factors are examined.

Too many changes in our system in the past have been made by people being thoughtful, but not mindful. Too often only one or two dynamics of challenge issues are really scrutinized, which in our field is never enough. It is way too complicated to embrace such a narrow methodology.

The history of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our state is littered with good intentions gone bad because the planning and preparation for change wasn’t complete. It wasn’t mindful. It didn’t fully examine the tough questions such as “Who will this really help? or “Who will this really hurt? or “Are we merely addressing a budgetary concern versus truly creating services with better outcomes?” Maybe we need a little technique.

It reminds me of an episode of “Spongebob Squarepants” I saw when watching with my kids when they were younger (OK, maybe I still watch the show on my own sometimes.) Anyway, in this episode, Spongebob opened up a “Bubble Stand” where he charged customers a quarter to blow bubbles. He also demonstrated his technique for creating awe inspiring bubbles. Check out a sped up version of the episode below.
 
 Can’t see the video? Click here. 

I see Spongebob’s technique as an example of mindfulness. At first glance, it may seem extreme, but the results are phenomenal. And while Squidward at first rejects Spongebob’s technique, it is only when he embraces it and tries it himself that he is able to create his own magnificent bubble (yes, it ends poorly for Squidward, but you can’t argue with the quality of his bubble).

Spongebob’s mindfulness opened the door to new possibilities in the world of bubble blowing. All of his actions and movements before blowing the bubbles led to superior bubbles. When Squidward rejected that mindful approach, his bubbles were completely uninspiring. He was thoughtful – he wanted to make good bubbles and thought he knew how to do so, but he wasn’t mindful in his approach, and it showed.

I want to make one thing clear (as well as finally move away from the Spongebob analogy) - using a mindful approach to creating services doesn’t mean it needs to take a long time to get anything done. In fact, I’d argue that being mindful should speed processes up because of the clarity of the approach.

Right now, I’d argue that we have a limited ability to plan because we aren’t mindful in how we make systematic changes. We’re like Squidward in that we don’t have a technique when it comes to creating services with meaningful outcomes. We have thoughtful people trying hard to do right but who tend to come up short because of a lack of mindfulness. It is time to take a more comprehensive approach to systems change.

Now is not the time to act like Squidward.

Then again, what do I know?

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday takes us back to “Chris’s Corner,” a unique corner that is home to Chris Baumgart, Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Specialist. Today, Chris discusses how various iPad apps are being used in Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source Boulder hub. 

Chris’s Corner 

This is my corner. There are many corners like it, but this one is mine… 

Greetings again, friends and viewing public. This week’s corner takes us to the Boulder site of Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department. In this edition we’re highlighting the use of Apple iPads in a number of classroom environments. Using the results of Stephanie Tilley’s iPad app research (many of those apps have appeared in previous “Stephanie’s High Five” segments on Imagine!’s SmartHomes blog), as well as input from the instructors who want to get more interactive content into their classrooms, I was able to set up several iPads (see below) to serve as robust and dynamic instructional tools that encourage new and exciting ways for each participant to be a more active part of his or her own learning.

In addition, instructors are now equipped to use the iPad in our AT Lab to demonstrate lessons to the entire classroom instantly on TV. In the photo below, our own Bridget Carroll is using the app called “Sign 4 Me” to demonstrate various American Sign Language (ASL) in such a way that the entire classroom can follow along. And of course, this is just one of many, many possibilities for our classrooms. Teachers are now using iPads to teach math skills, literacy skills, communication skills at many different levels, as well as music skills. I’d love to go on about that last one, as it may be one of my personal favorites, but that’s going to have to wait for another edition. Be sure to tune in for future editions! Don’t touch that dial!

Good News Friday!

Today is a good day to thank some good Knights.

The Lafayette Knights of Columbus Council 5237 stopped by Imagine!’s office Tuesday to drop off a very generous donation – more than $3,000! The donation will go to support Imagine!’s Dayspring department’s Community Calendar Activities.

This support makes a huge difference. Daypsring’s Community Calendar Activities introduces families who have a child with a developmental delay or disability to places in our community that offer great activities and opportunities for children to meet their goals through fun and play.

All activities encourage motor, sensory, social-emotional, cognitive and speech-language development. Each location has activities that are age and developmentally appropriate. Activities are centered around play, because play is the primary vehicle for a child’s mental and physical growth. Play has a vital role in cognitive, speech-language, physical, emotional and social development.

Much of young children’s learning takes place when they direct their own play. Learning occurs as children touch, manipulate, experiment and talk about things, while interacting with people who facilitate without directing. During play, children are provided with sensory experiences and opportunities to move. Young children need to climb, run, jump and challenge themselves motorically. Children are natural explorers and instinctively touch, taste, hear and observe the world around them.

The Knights raised the majority of this donation at the Lafayette King Soopers during their Tootsie Roll Drive.

A big thank you goes out to the Knights of Columbus and the Lafayette King Soopers for supporting Dayspring and the families they serve.

Pictured below, from left to right, are Julie Hartman, Director of Imagine!’s Dayspring department, Knight Louis Abila, Knight Don Jung, Imagine! Foundation Director Patti Micklin, and Knight Wayne Stetson.

Out & About With . . . Gateway Fun Park

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge Gateway Fun Park in Boulder for its support of Out & About. Out & About has been going to Gateway Fun Park for many years with their Sports & Games classes for both adults and children. Gateway Fun Park has always welcomed the O & A group and made them feel welcomed. O & A staff members and participants alike always leave having had a great time.

Thank you, Gateway Fun Park, for your commitment to your community and all of its members.

Flirting With Responsibility

Having been in the field of serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) for more than 30 years, I have watched with interest how the definition of “success” in our services has changed over the years, especially residential services.

When I first entered the field, it was generally agreed that successful outcomes meant that the individuals we served were able to live separately from their parents upon reaching adulthood; sort of the expectation we have of all young adults. Residential services were set up to support the philosophy that as adults, individuals with I/DD were able to live their own lives separate from their families. The most common living situations for adults with I/DD living away from their parents or other family members at the time were group homes – anywhere from two to ten individuals living together. While this was certainly a positive move away from institutions, the end result was still congregate settings where people lived together on the basis of their disability instead of common interests.

As time went on, and the costs of supporting both the transition into and maintenance of an adulthood lived separately from family changed, so did the definition of success. Having younger adults with I/DD stay with their families as long as possible became the goal, and having individuals living separate from their families as adults become a “last resort” option, essentially considered an unsuccessful outcome. For those individuals who weren’t able to stay with their families, the preferred residential setting became host homes – an attempt to recreate a family type setting outside of the real family.

It should be noted that during this time of trying to create a family type residential setting for those adults who couldn’t stay with their actual family, the idea that the actual families could or should be paid to provide services was considered absurd in many circles. So we were paying to reconstruct something that we were unwilling to pay for when it occurred naturally.

Recently, however, that attitude has changed as well. The family care model, where family members are paid to provide services for their loved one with an intellectual disability, may very well become the predominant model, and the model that is considered the most successful possible outcome from a cost standpoint (at least as it pertains to their living situations).

Now, I’m not using this post to offer my opinion as to what I think the definition of a successful outcome for our services should be. I have strong opinions on that, but that is for another post at another time.

Instead, I’d like to point out what has been missing throughout this changing and evolving view of how residential services should be delivered, and what constitutes successful outcomes from those services. That missing element is establishing responsibility for determining success. We have shifted our definition of services and successful outcomes several times without once tackling a key underlying issue – who is ultimately responsible for designing and defining those successful outcomes?

Is it families? Is it the government? Is it the courts? Is it the community? Is it the providers?

Without the answer to that one question, the question of how services should be delivered and how we measure if they are successful is almost impossible to answer. We can’t deliver services that work if we can’t establish who is ultimately driving the design of those services. It reminds me a little bit of those old electric football games. You can set up your players in a certain formation, but once you turn the game on and the board starts to shake and vibrate, you don’t actually have responsibility for, and therefore control over, what happens next.

Can't see the video? Click here.

We’ve been flirting with this question of responsibility for too long. It has made it difficult to design services and to implement them in a way that is beneficial for all involved. I have to wonder how we can move forward productively, creating services and defining outcomes that are meaningful, without the thoughtfully addressing the question of responsibility.

Then again, what do I know?

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s Dayspring department provides educational and therapeutic services that promote and support children ages birth to three who have developmental delays or disabilities, their families, and the community.

Dayspring therapists have long used the latest in technology to help in delivering meaningful and impactful services. Today, they share some online apps and videos that they have found useful in their work.

Duck Duck Moose has a variety of apps for both Android and Apple devices that interactively delight children while encouraging cognitive, language, and motor development. Here are just a few Duck Duck Moose app recommendations from Dayspring therapists:

• Itsy Bitsy Spider 
• Old MacDonald 
• Wheels on the Bus 

Duck Duck Moose apps are available on Google Play and iTunes.

Imagine!’s Dayspring therapists also suggest BabyU and BabyFirst Video at BabyFirst as a place for young children to explore. Below are a few recommended activities. Each activity even tracks data so you can see how the child is progressing!

• Numbers and Counting 1 to 5 
• Basic Shapes 
• Foods 
• Animals 
• Colors 
• Sounds 

BabyFirst Videos and Apps are available on Google Play and on iTunes.

Good News Friday!

The Imagine! Celebration, the annual fundraising event of the Imagine! Foundation, raises funds to support Imagine!’s programs, services, housing, and its two SmartHomes. It is scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2015 at the Plaza Convention Center in Longmont. We will honor George Karakehian for his dedication and service to Imagine!, as well as employers partnering with Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source on the program's 30th anniversary. The event includes a silent auction featuring more than 200 items, dinner, a live auction, and a special appeal (paddle raiser). More than 400 people attend the event each year.

Check out the video below to get a sneak peek at the event's live auction items. I hope to see you there!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Purchase tickets here. 

Check out the 2015 Celebration Sponsors. 

Learn more about the 2015 Celebration Live Auction Items.

Out & About With . . . Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals. 

Today, I’d like to acknowledge Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library in Broomfield for its support of Out & About. Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library opened up their larger conference room to hold Out & About’s weekly Creative Expressions class last year. Since the library opens at 9AM, that made scheduling the class in a way that was convenient for families and participants much easier.

Thank you, Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, for your continued support of your community and all of its members.

Technology Tuesday

A few weeks ago, I shared some videos from University of Colorado students in Professor Melinda Piket-May's Fall 2014 Engineering class, who worked on adaptive equipment projects for individuals served by Imagine!. In the video below, Chris DiRosa, the Site Supervisor for Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont shares some of the projects and discusses how they will be used in the home.
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Good News Friday

The supported employment services provided by Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) department offer people who have a disability the opportunity to develop vital job skills and become active participants in their communities. The benefits extend far beyond helping individuals served by Imagine!, however. Businesses using our services are able to reduce recruitment and training expenses as they benefit from a diversified employee pool. Partnering with CLS is a “win-win” situation that is beneficial all around. Check out the fun and short (a minute) video below to learn more.
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Out & About With . . . Carousel of Happiness

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

So over the next few months, I’ll be using this blog to thank some of those community partners that make all the difference when it comes to successful outcomes for Out & About participants.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland for its support of Out & About. Out & About groups went up to the carousel of happiness for the past year’s Summer Camp program, as they have for the past few years. The staff members at the Carousel of Happiness are so warm and welcoming, and Out & About participants (and staff members) always have a fantastic time when they go there.

Thank you, Carousel of Happiness, for your continued support of your community and all of its members.

Over Performing, Under Paid

I recently came across a statistic that supported a theme I’ve touched on before in this blog – the fact that Colorado Community Centered Boards and service providers bring incredible value to our state. We get paid very little, yet we deliver outcomes far beyond what that payment would indicate we should be able to produce.

The stat I came across was in a chart showing the percentage, by state, of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) living in non-family settings who live with three or fewer people. That description is a mouthful, but essentially, it is a chart showing state-by-state how many people with I/DD live in large congregate settings. I think all of us can agree that the fewer people who live in these larger congregate settings, the better. That philosophy has driven services across the nation for more than 30 years. But as the chart below demonstrates, not all states in the U.S. have embraced the philosophy with equal fervor. (Note – you can click on the image below to make the chart larger, or click here for a full page view.)

Here’s the good news, at least for those of us in Colorado. Our state ranks near the top of the heap in terms of fewest people living in large group settings. This isn’t the only metric that demonstrates the skill with which providers in Colorado are able to deliver outstanding outcomes from our services. A quick perusal of The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities’ publication “The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities” shows many categories where Colorado exceeds national averages in measurements that define quality outcomes for the individuals with I/DD (important note – there is actually no such thing as a quick perusal of “The State of the States” – it is some pretty heavy reading).

Another key stat from “The State of the States” makes the accomplishments we’ve achieved in Colorado even more remarkable. According to the Coleman Institute’s research, Colorado ranks 47th in overall fiscal effort toward I/DD services. “Fiscal effort” is spending for I/DD per $1,000 of aggregate statewide personal income. In short, we come up short when directing financial resources toward the individuals we serve.

I wish I could say I’m sharing this information just to give all of us in Colorado a pat on the back. The pat is well deserved – we are poorly funded but we perform really well. Instead, I am presenting this information as a curiosity. We are in the process of redefining and redesigning how services are funded and delivered in our state. We have been down this path before, more times than I care to discuss, and most recently in 2008 when Colorado took the advisement of the Federal government to engage a fee-for-service system of payment. Everyone on the planet agrees that this was a mistake. I wonder if those involved in this process are giving the proper analysis to the current deliverables, including our state providers’ extraordinary ability to deliver in the face of limited resources. Factors that have led to those successes may be overlooked during this redesign process.

We’ve been delivering services in Colorado for more than 50 years, and Medicaid Waiver services for over 30 years We’re pretty darn good at it. System redesign is fine, and I welcome honest and open discussions as to how we can do even better. But change for change’s sake, and following the advisement from the Federal Government without a thoughtful process involving an honest look at all of the variables, isn’t likely to lead to more successful outcomes for the individuals we serve. Let’s build on our solid foundation. We already have that advantage. Ignoring this advantage comes with a great deal of risk – risk the individuals we serve can ill afford to take on.

Then again, what do I know?

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday takes us back to “Chris’s Corner,” a bustling corner inhabited by Chris Baumgart, Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Specialist. This edition of the “Corner” provides some in-depth information about how Imagine! is using technology to allow individuals (regardless of ability or disability) to create beautiful music. 

Chris’s Corner 

“Yep. Painted myself straight into it.” --Chris 

This week’s “Corner” takes us to Imagine!’s Longmont CORE/Labor Source (CLS) hub and into the Music Composition Class as taught by Kelly Faus. Everyone in class has the opportunity to build into the song; the most popular means is by using CLS’s digital drum kit’s MIDI capabilities. If you’re not familiar with MIDI technologies or what you can do with them, Kelly offers a quick overview in the video below.
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

The great advantage to using the drum kit specifically is that it allows individuals with largely varying fine and gross motor skill levels to be able to play drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, any wind instrument, and many more, simply activating each pressure pad in the kit as he or she sees fit.

Now, on to the musical composition. For each project, the class first reviewed four primary sections to a musical composition: rhythm, a bass line, harmony, and a melody. The class would then layer in each of these components to produce the final composition.

For the rhythm section, the class decided together on a drum loop they’d like to put together. There were a lot of considerations the class discussed, including musical style, theme, and tempo. For this project, the general consensus was a “Happy Funky Psychedelic” beat (a pretty tall order). After trying out a couple of loops, the gang settled on one that they felt best fits the bill.

Next on deck was the bass line. Scott decided to step in and lay down the bass track. After deciding on which bass sound he felt would fit the composition, he was able to lay the track down in real time, as you can see in this video.
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Once the bass line was set and everyone was satisfied, other participants tried their hand at a melody. Once a melody was established, other harmonies were introduced. In this way, everyone had the chance to lay down one or more tracks until they all agreed the composition was complete. Have a listen below to see what they came up with!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Good News Friday!

I often say that much of Imagine!’s success is a result of the support of our community. Here’s a story about a collaboration between Imagine! and our local YMCA that demonstrates that fact quite nicely.

The YMCA of Boulder Valley has an after school program for students, and a handful of their staff work one-on-one with students with developmental disabilities. This group of YMCA staff met at Imagine! in early November to discuss positive instruction methods with Imagine! Out & About Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS) Lisa Bargatze and Beth Gessert. “We opened the floor and allowed them to bring up particular situations they find challenging with the kiddos they work with,” said Lisa.

For example: one student in particular had a rough time accepting he was “out” during a game in the gym. He yelled and insisted he was still “in.” With the help of Lisa and Beth, the group brainstormed how to help this student transition out of the game. One idea: before the game starts, prompt the student to choose a spot in the building that he can call his “special spot.” Once he is tagged out, go to the spot and let him hang out in his “cool, special spot” until the next round begins.

“The training Out & About provided for our staff was something we would not of had anyone in house with the same experience,” said Tasia Krause, YMCA of Boulder Valley Vice President of School Age Programs.

In return for the training session, the Y opened their Arapahoe and 95th facility to our School Closure Day group during the Thanksgiving and Holiday breaks. Our participants had access to swimming, ice skating, bike riding, basketball, yoga, and other fitness activities. “A highlight for me was watching two participants in particular ice skate,” said Lisa. “They initially held onto the wall or an instructor, but with time, found their balance and skated around for a while on their own!”

Thanks to the YMCA of Boulder Valley for being a committed community partner. Thanks also to Out & About’s Scott Wendelberger for sharing this story.