$3,500 is great ... but $25K would be better!

We are so thankful for each and every person who came our our "Tackling Autism Awareness" event earlier this month. You helped us raise $3,500 to promote autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy! And now we have another opportunity to raise funds ...

Chase Community Giving is offering $25,000 to 100 nonprofit organizations ... and we want to be one of them! Please vote for Good Friend Inc. (zip code 53186). It only takes a second, but without LOTS of votes from each of our supporters and all of their friends, it can't happen. Please spread the word!

2nd Annual "Tackling Autism Awareness" FUNdraiser SAT., NOV. 7!

Pre-register NOW to attend Good Friend, Inc.'s 2nd annual "Tackling Autism Awareness" silent auction FUNdraiser on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 1-4 p.m., at Steinhafels in Waukesha! With a sports theme and family-friendly entertainment, there's a little something for everyone. For him, a Big Ten game. For her, get some holiday shopping done. For the kids, face painting, arts & crafts, and temporary tattoos. For all, snacks and beverages. Plus, a screening of "How Can I Be a Good Friend to Someone with Autism?", our original DVD that creates autism awareness and teaches acceptance!

All this and more is FREE with pre-registration! Just email denise@goodfriendinc.com and let her know your name, number of guests, and email address/phone number by Oct. 30. ($2 per person at the door.)

Tell your neighbors! Invite your friends! And check out this short list of fabulous auction items that WISN-12 meteorologist Lance Hill will hype as he hosts the event again this year:

overnight stay at Chula Vista Resort with 4 waterpark passes

two admission passes to Six Flags Great America

Family Fun Pack from the Milwaukee Wave

signed baseballs and team wearables from the Milwaukee Brewers

packages from Tupperware, Miche Bag, St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant, The Chancery, and MORE!!

If you or your organization are interested in donating to or sponsoring this event, there's still time! Good publicity for a great cause and a tax write-off -- what could be better?! Contact Chelsea (414-510-0385; chelsea@goodfriendinc.com).

We also have a CELEBRITY CONTEST. Who do you know who'd be willing to come support autism awareness, acceptance, & empathy?

Visit our Facebook event listing: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125158774469&ref=mf

Be proactive this school year

As parents of children with developmental delays, Denise and I have been told to "wait and see" more times than we care to count. Wait and see if the skills emerge. Wait and see if he needs extra support. Wait and see if she's able to make friends. Wait and see if the kids tease his extraordinary qualities. Sometimes waiting is the prudent thing to do -- wait for the best, not the first; wait for what's right, not what's right now. However, what we've learned is that waiting to disclose our child's differences only sets everyone back.

We've chosen to be proactive about educating our own children's teachers and hope other parents do the same. We hope teachers and administrators don't wait for a crisis in the classroom or on the playground to work together with parents and guardians to get some peer sensitivity training underway. We hope education teams aren't hesitant to set examples of inclusion and acceptance. We hope they serve as models of life-long learning and growing, of reaching and striving.

Let Good Friend come into a staff meeting to do an in-service. Invite us to conduct a peer sensitivity workshop with your student's grade. Schedule a general student assembly during National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week. http://www.pacer.org/bullying/bpaw/index.asp By being proactive, you let others know that students with differences are not an after-thought, but an integral part of our communities.

Join Team Good Friend for Dylan's Run '09!

We have one month to put together an amazing team for this year's Dylan's Run, a family-friendly 2Mile Run & Walk held at the Summerfest grounds during Indian Summer, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, starting at 9 a.m. If you don't already have plans to be on a team, join us! We especially appreciate this event and the Autism Society of Southeast Wisconsin for our $1,200 grant to produce our DVD in Spanish (scheduled for release this month). Dylan's Run funds remain in our community to support those who care for and educate individuals with ASD.

For more information about the event, visit www.dylansrun.com. If you'd like to be a part of Team Good Friend, let Chelsea (chelsea@goodfriendinc.com / 414-510-0385) or Denise (denise@goodfriendinc.com / 262-391-1369) know by August 7th.

No time for lazy summer days with Good Friend!

Good Friend, Inc., is preparing for its national debut. Now that we have two state autism conferences under our belt, we thought it was time to take the Awareness-Acceptance-Empathy model to the next level.

Chelsea and Denise will attend the sessions as parents, will present "Disability Harassment and the Importance of Social Support" on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Turquoise AB room, and will be assisted by four volunteers in the exhibit hall at Good Friend's booth.

Register for the conference here: https://secure.expoplanner.com/aut2009/regform.wcs?intro=yes&formtype=new And plan to attend our breakout and visit our booth! Good Friend merchandise, including the SPANISH version of our DVD, will be available.

We are so thankful for all who have supported our mission and have enabled us to reach this point in our organization's development. We are looking forward to Good Friend's 2nd birthday, coming up on August 10. In the lifecycle of a nonprofit, this is an important milestone. Celebrate with us by attending one of our "birthday parties" at various Waukesha County partner restaurants. Watch for details.

Also, SAVE THE DATE for our 2nd annual Membership Meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Rotary Building in Waukesha. We will be presenting our Good Friend in Education Awards to some deserving people, sharing highlights from our 2008-'09 year, and unfolding a plan for our future. If you are not yet a member, PLEASE visit the Membership page of our website and complete the registration form. That way, you'll be sure to get your invitation to the event. And if your company would like to sponsor this year's meeting (only $500!), get in touch with Chelsea (414-510-0385; chelsea@goodfriendinc.com).

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Connecting through technology to spread the A-A-E message!

How many individuals with ASD do you know?  How many people who care for, educate, or otherwise serve individuals with ASD are among your friends and family?  In this Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn world of connections, the world is continually made smaller by technology.  We appreciate you registering for our blog updates.  Are you a member of our Facebook Cause http://apps.facebook.com/causes/187118/22149057?m=81484ff1 or LinkedIn Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1867598?  If not, check us out!  It's a great way for us to maximize our ability to communicate effectively with you.  We appreciate your feedback on our discussion topics and your support of the autism awareness-acceptance-empathy mission.

Let some of your connections know about Good Friend, Inc.  We are booking summer opportunities for first responder and camp staff training on autism.  We are also looking forward to coming to your area school to provide a staff in-service on autism and social support before the first day of school, or during your fall scheduled in-service opportunity.  Contact us to find out more.

Hoa Aloha Autism Awareness Bowling Event update!

Registration forms are now available!  Team captains, please send an email to Chelsea or Denise with your snail mail address to get yours today.  Space is limited, so the first 30 teams to get their completed form and $100 registration fee in will be accepted.  If you know of a company that can sponsor your team, have them cover the registration fee!  If you have an employer who will match your donation, be sure to tell them about Good Friend!

The $100 registration fee includes two games each and shoe rental for as many as six bowlers, plus snacks and beverages.  Please, no bowlers under age 3, and there must be at least one member per team age 21 or older.  Proper adult supervision is required at all times.

Get your Hawaiian costume together now, as there will be a prize awarded to the team with the best beach attire!  Prizes will also to to the individuals with the Highest Score, Most Strikes, and Most Gutter Balls, plus the Top Fund Raiser (team and individual).

Packets will be mailed to all registered team captains the week of March 23rd.  Bowlers are encouraged to raise pledges (cash or check only, please) to be turned in on the day of the event, Sunday, April 26th.  The event will run from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Sunset Bowl Entertainment Center in Waukesha.  Prize winners need not be present to claim their prizes at the event's conclusion.  A bake sale and themed portraits will be on-site as well.

Event ($1,000) and Lane ($100) sponsorships are still available.  Contact Chelsea for more information.

Hoa Aloha means Good Friend in Hawaii.  Show us what Good Friends you are here in metro Milwaukee!

Hoa Aloha Autism Awareness Bowling Event

Mark you calendar now and get your team together for our first annual "Hoa Aloha Autism Awareness Bowling Event" to benefit Good Friend, Inc., Sunday afternoon, April 26, at Sunset Bowl in Waukesha.  Food, friends, family, and fun will all be included in this Hawaiian-themed get-together.  Event and team sponsorships are available.  Contact Chelsea (chelsea@goodfriendinc.com, 414-510-0385) or Denise (denise@goodfriendinc.com, 262-391-1369) for more information.  Details will be posted soon!

World Autism Awareness Day

What are you doing to mark World Autism Awareness Day?  Did you know that Thursday, April 2, will be the second time the United Nations has taken measures to recognize the global impact that autism spectrum disorders have?

Perhaps you'll tell someone about autism.  Maybe you'll attend a scheduled event (check www.worldautismawarenessday.org for more information).  Maybe you'll have that conversation with your child who has autism you've been meaning to have for a while -- the one where you let him know that we are all different, but that he has something extra special about him.  Maybe you'll read her Different Like Me: My book of autism heroes by Jennifer Elder.

Maybe you have been blessed enough that you can donate toward an organization that promotes autism awareness.  If so, please consider donating to Good Friend.  Your gift is tax-deductible and will be applied directly toward programs that create autism awareness, teach acceptance, and foster empathy.

You can donate through this website, through our Facebook Cause http://apps.new.facebook.com/causes/187118?m=c9c4601a&recruiter_id=22149057, or by mailing a check to Good Friend, Inc., 808 Cavalier Dr., Waukesha, WI 53186.

If you're an educator or school administrator, contact Chelsea or Denise to invite Good Friend to come to your school to provide a staff in-service, general student assembly, and/or peer sensitivity workshop.  We can travel outside our service area for a modest mileage allowance.

However you observe the day, be sure to thank someone who cares for a child or adult with autism.  We certainly appreciate you!