Soaring
July 2023
Will We See You At The Lake?
Growth * Respect * Choice * Integrity * Fellowship * Learning
Summer is speeding merrily along and our annual Made in the Shade “Walk, Run, Roll” will be here before you know it. We’ll gather for fresh air, food, fun, and fellowship on Saturday morning, September 16th from 10AM-Noon at Lake Bde Maka Ska as we partner with six other wonderful organizations to raise funds and awareness to support people with developmental disabilities. The hamburgers and refreshments are complimentary, and we’ll be entertained by a very talented local folk band—Skunk Hollow. T-shirts are ultramarine blue this year; please place your order by August 4th!
We’d like to give a special shout out to our $2,500 level sponsors who have already generously given including Associated Bank and UCare. Thank you to Angela and Ryan O’Neill and to the Larson Family for their sponsorships at the $1,000 level. You may donate to a specific group home or to our general fund, and you can always donate in honor or in memory of a loved one. Your generosity makes every house a place to call home by fulfilling a variety of wishes. For example, many homes need new appliances, flooring, vans, patio furniture, funds for special outings, or gift cards for a meal out together. No donation is too small, and there are many ways to give. Mail a check using the enclosed envelope, donate online at www.wingspanlife.org, or call 651.888.3112.
“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Very special thanks to Nick Wagner, President of Wagner’s Greenhouses, and to Peg Neurer and her business partner, Matt (formerly Bergmann’s LLC), for donating flowers and for their labor of love in putting 30 gorgeous hanging baskets together so that each of our homes could have one to display. They are stunning. We’d also like to thank those who participated in our mini fundraiser in partnership with our friends at Gertens. It was so successful we’ll repeat an opportunity later this year.
Empowering Abilities. Nurturing Spirits. Caring for Life.
This Year’s Event Was One for the Record Books! Thank you to all of the people who helped make our golden anniversary gala so very special. The martini luge sponsored by our Platinum sponsor, Digital Mass, was a definite thirst quencher. Our Mystery Bags sold out in a matter of minutes, and all of our 250+ auction items sold out including 70 of our one-of-a-kind hand painted birdhouses. Special thanks to our event crew from Stagetime Productions, the staff at the Metropolitan, Jamecia Bennett and her band, Thirty Story and W2 Films, our volunteers and staff, our auction donors, and to our generous sponsors and Fund A Need donors. Our emcee/ auctioneer, Sarah Knox and our Gala Chair, Kim Wolff, were a dynamic duo. We had a record number of 70 sponsors and we achieved gross revenue of nearly $170,000 exclusive of inkind.
Happiness on a Stick! Thank you to our good friends at the Minnesota State Fair for once again donating enough tickets so that our clients and their staff can spend time at “the great Minnesota get-together.” Watch for photos in our Fall newsletter and in our social media. Will you try a new food this year such as the cheescake curds, the cotton candy “cloud coolers” or the loaded lobster fries? Or will you head straight to a favorite treat stand such as Sweet Martha’s Cookies for a bucket? Our clients really enjoy trying the food, going on rides, playing games in the arcade, or resting on a bench to enjoy the variety of entertainment.
Corporate Volunteers At Work
Thank you to our friends at Medtronic for once again sending teams to help with yard beautification. In July, volunteers helped with weeding, raking, and trimming at our Groveland and 17th/Woodbridge homes. Contact Keller at kkarlstrom@ wingspanlife.org and we’ll find a great location for your team. Individuals and small groups are also welcome. We provide the tools and refreshments.
Arts Grants Provide Ongoing Enrichment For Wingspan Clients A recent grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board in the amount of $15,354 will partially fund three 8-week arts residencies for clients through Spring of 2024—a theater class, a dance residency, and a puppet making class. All classes will include a showcase opportunity on the final night of class for family & staff to attend. We welcome individual contributions to supplement our programing. Wingspan was also awarded $15,000 made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This grant will fund our “Passport Unlimited” program curated by Development Officer Darolyn Gray to offer a series of eight, one-hour multicultural “learn and listen” performances arranged for clients, staff, friends and family through April of next year. This series will allow all clients, including those who do not regularly participate in Glee Club or art residencies, to experience diverse styles of music. The performance groups include: Afoutayi (Haitian music/dance), KetzalCoatlicue (Aztec culture through dance), Karibuni (African drumming), Nanilo (Yiddish, Sephardic, Eastern European), Nirmala (South India/Hindu), Siama (Congo Roots), Talking Strings (quartet-Romani music), and Zhang Ying & Rhonda Lund (ancient Chinese music, bamboo flute). Stay tuned for invitations and more information. Glee Club will start this Fall and we are grateful to the Janice Gardner Foundation for their past support.
Quiet on the Set! Our 8-week summer arts residency for theater started in July and clients are having a great time growing into their roles as actors. Truthfully, our sessions are anything but quiet, with members eagerly acting and producing sound effects. Our COMPAS teaching artist, Aimee Bryant, is an artist of many trades; a professional actor, singer, songwriter, poet, dancer and choreographer, In the classroom, she begins with nurturing the voices of the members by using community building activities to create a safe space in which they can be free to experiment with creative expression, take artistic risks, and explore and share their personal connection to the material. Aimee uses theater games, performance, movement, songwriting, spoken word, creative writing and rhythm to create a collaborative experience. Aimee has been performing in the Twin Cities for the last 20 years. Some of her professional highlights include Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun, Ensemble Member in For Colored Girls and Black Nativity, as well as Sarah in Ragtime and Marian the Librarian in The Music Man. Be sure to visit our beautiful, freshly updated website at www.wingspanlife.org!
Executive Director’s Corner Board of Directors Angela O’Neill, Chair Joe Eickhoff, Vice Chair Roz Allyson, Treasurer Mary Anderson LeRoy Bergerson Preston Koenig Taree Leach-Junkersfeld Mark Mooney Bruce Smith Kim Wolff John Thames, Chair Emeritus Executive Director Therese Davis Editor Pam Carlson Story Contributors Therese Davis Darolyn Gray
www.wingspanlife.org
Summer is a busy time for Wingspan. The nicer weather allows us to spend more time together, and we have so many things to look forward to. Inside this newsletter you can read about theater class in process at our Plato campus on Tuesday evenings through August. We’re currently planning our annual picnic which is always a fun afternoon for clients and staff. The State Fair is on our minds, and clients are already thinking about the food they would like to try. Some clients are making plans to go to Camp Confidence to participate in all kinds of fun activities from sing-alongs around the campfire, to arts and crafts, to pontoon rides on the lake. As summer winds down, we turn our attention to our annual Made in the Shade event at Lake Bde Maka Ska, and the aroma of grilled hamburgers wafting through the air. Be sure to visit White Bear Center for the Arts where you’ll find our Wings of Hope mosaic on display through November. This masterpiece was created by clients who participated in last year’s mosaic residency and we’re excited that the gallery is offering a reception for the artists this Fall. On behalf of our big Wingspan family to yours, have a safe and happy summer.
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