#KEENBENEFIT Twitter Contest

This entry is available online as a formal request for funding with our letterhead and tax payer ID: http://bit.ly/3fzFvo

Dear Twitter Community

On behalf of Kids Enjoy Exercise Now Los Angeles (KEEN LA), I invite you to support KEEN Benefit 2009 by participating in our one day only #KEENBENEFIT Twitter Contest. KEEN LA is a non-profit organization that provides free sports and recreational opportunities to children with severe and profound disabilities in the greater Los Angeles area. With your participation in our #KEENBENEFIT Twitter Contest, you will help raise money for our organization and help us to continue expanding our reach in Los Angeles community while keeping our programs free-of-charge to children and their families.

About #KEENBENEFIT Twitter Contest

To keep our organization going throughout 2010, we are running a contest today on Twitter. The winner of the contest will receive TWO FREE TICKETS to the KEENLA Benefit on Sunday, ($200 value). We will also write an article about the winner, the winner’s organization, or business, on our blog and website. The winner of the contest will be announced via “@ reply” before the end of the day. There are two simple requirements to participate in the #KEEN BENEFIT Twitter Contest:

1. Make a small donation of at least $20 at http://www.keenlosangeles.org/

2. Tweet: “Just donated 2 @keenla 4 #KEENBENEFIT Twitter Contest in hopes of winning 2 free tix to the event. You can 2! Visit http://bit.ly/UGg9" OR Write an article about your donation and email the link to info@keenlosangeles.org

About KEENLA

KEEN began with a simple idea: pair a trained volunteer coach with an athlete with disabilities, and let them discover together what they can do. With this simple idea and five children, KEEN was launched in Washington DC area nearly 14 years ago. Now, the national organization serves hundreds of young people with disabilities across the nation through a myriad of recreational programs (e.g. free gym play, basketball, swimming) brought to life each week with the help of volunteer coaches. In 2005, KEENLA was launched, realizing a longstanding vision to bring KEEN to the Los Angeles Area. Over the past year, KEEN LA has served area wide athletes with the help of over 850 volunteers. KEENLA is proud to accept every child, no matter his/her disability or limitations.

About #KEENBENEFIT

KEENLA with the support of top sponsors, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Joe Moller Events and other local sponsors, will host a benefit night to help fund free recreational programs for special needs children in LA. The benefit will take place at the Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades on Sunday November 1st, 2009 at 5 p.m.

KEENLA sponsors such as Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Joe Moller Events, KEEN CFOS, Miss California Latina, State Farm Insurance, ABC Supply, celebrity guests such as 3 Olympians, members of Ziggy Marley’s band, volunteers, parents of KEENLA athletes, and the KEENLA Board of Directors will be in attendance.

The event will include a silent auction, for items such as hot air balloon rides, “The Closer: set tickets, autographs, Lakers tickets, spa treatments, and hotel stays. The evening will also include professional salsa dancing lessons, a hosted bar, and hors d’oeuvres.

The main event is the highly competitive KEENLA Trivia game. Teams of ten race each other across an interactive game board, and answer questions related to KEENLA, current events, and pop culture to earn a chance to move closer to the finish line. They can also pay to have extra opportunities to answer questions correctly or wreak havoc on another team, such as paying to have them sent back a few steps. Waiting across the finish line is a prize, such as a spa treatment or gift certificates.

Tickets are $100, available online at http://www.keenlosangeles.org/

#KEENBENEFIT will be held THIS SUNDAY!!! November 1, 2009 at the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades. If you and/or your organization/business would like to join other Los Angeles area organizations and individuals in supporting KEENLA by becoming an event sponsor, please contact Leah Weiner, KEEN Los Angeles Executive Director at 213-892-2935 or info@keenlosangeles.org

Proceeds from #KEENBENEFIT will support KEEN Los Angeles’ sports and recreation programs and will help us to continue to provide them at no-cost to our athletes and their families. We sincerely hope you will choose to support our KEENLA athletes during this special event as we celebrate our 4^th year providing services to the Los Angeles community.

Sincerely,

Janelle Maluenda

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, Los Angeles
Events & Fundraising Committee
626-825-3602 | keenlosangeles@gmail.com

Live Video Feed from #losangeles #specialneeds #tweetup: 929 Academy Road, Los Angeles California

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, in an effort to unite the tweeting special needs community of Los Angeles, California, is hosting the first ever #losangeles #specialneeds #tweetup tomorrow, Sunday October 25th, 2009 at Elysian Park Therapeutic Recreation Center.



Disabled children ranging from 3-18 with autism, aspergers, pdd, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, spina bifida, add, adhd, and many others will be laughing and playing with their trained volunteer coaches.

Volunteers arrive at 1030am. They'll be trained how to work with the kids.

Special needs athletes arrive at 11am.

Each volunteer with be paired with his/her own "athlete".

They will play until noon. Anything from arts and crafts, basketball, jump rope, baseball, bowling, sand castles, go cart racing, playground equipment and swing sets.

Then we do hokey pokey.

Then we play parachute and do the pride circle where every athlete shares what he/she did that day that makes him proud. We are done by 12:30


Its really fun. Volunteer coaches can register and find directions at keenlosangeles.org

Epilepsy Brain Storm Summit

We invite you to attend the Epilepsy Brain Storm Summit conference on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at the Conference Center at Cathedral Plaza in Los Angeles, California. The conference will be held in English in the morning and in Spanish in the afternoon.



The conference theme – “Tried & True & New Strategies Through Tough Times” – will focus attention on strategies that everyone can use to help manage seizures, promote safety, develop coping skills, improve general quality of life, and increase awareness about new treatment options even during these tough economic times. These strategies will be highlighted during the two panel presentations in the morning. The panels will be followed by “Special Interest Groups” for parents of children with epilepsy, adults with epilepsy, and siblings. Interested parents of school-aged children won’t want to miss the “Workshop on IEPs” and adults with epilepsy and their parents/partners will want to attend the “Workshop on SSI”. These will both be very practical, interactive Workshops where you can ask questions and get guidance.



For more specifics about the schedule and to register, please visit www.EpilepsyBrainStormSummit.kintera.org.



From your friends at the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles

www.EpilepsyFoundationGLA.org

Twitter Community Call to Action:

I directed you to this post, because I wrote it for you. Thanks for trusting my suspicious link and thanks for being interested in what I have to say...

Please click here to email us directly to involve your organization, if you are an agent, if you have questions, would like to volunteer, or need directions



Who:
You are a mom or a dad of a child with special needs, the representative of an organization, a celebrity, a Los Angeles area business owner, you work in the special needs field, you're a student, or even a volunteer. Or maybe you want to become a volunteer!

What:
Help attract a large following to our cause by tweeting and retweeting using #KEENBENEFIT and some of the following hashtags:

#LosAngeles #tweetup# specialneeds #children #benefit #LAUSD #charity #donate #nonprofit #autism #aspergers #ADD #ADHD #bipolar #cerebralpalsy #epilepsy #specialed #spinabifida #disability

Examples of tweets:

#networking #opportunity for #specialneeds community: #LosAngeles #tweetup, 10/25 11am Elysian Park by #Dodger Stadium http://bit.ly/1yRq39

Hope 2 C U at the #specialneeds #tweetup #losangeles 10/25 11am Elysian Park by #Dodgers stadium. #KEENBENEFIT

@KEENLA is turning this Sunday's #specialneeds session for #children into a #Losangeles #tweetup 10/25 11am Elysian Park

Plz share #KEENBENEFIT press release! Donations/attendance is appreciated. Keep #play free for #specialneeds http://bit.ly/3TwANT

Los Angeles Community Unites for Children with Special Needs - http://bit.ly/3ChOs1 #KEENBENEFIT

Don't miss the #KEENBENEFIT: hosted bar, professional salsa dancing lessons, Lakers tix, silent auction: http://bit.ly/3TwANT #specialneeds

Dear #LosAngeles Community: 60 #specialneeds #children need your support of the #KEENBENEFIT: Attend. Donate. Retweet. http://bit.ly/3TwANT

Enjoying this pic of #specialneeds #children playing: http://bit.ly/1kWZhd #KEENBENEFIT

@KEENLA talks about the benefits of play for children w/#specialneeds http://bit.ly/1To2U1 to promote #KEENBENEFIT

When:
1. THIS Sunday October 25th 11am PST: #LosAngeles #specialneeds #tweetup
This is the date and time of our next KEEN session. We are inviting the Los Angeles twitter community to come out to Elysian Park Therapeautic Rec Center at 929 Academy Road, Los Angeles California and participate in our event. During this time I will be tweeting pictures and videos of our athletes, volunteers, and twitteres in action. If you can retweet these pictures and videos to your followers, that would be awesome!

Here's a look at what you will be exposed to while participating in this unique Los Angeles tweetup for special needs children:



2. October 22nd - November 1st: #KEENBENEFIT
The big day is fast approaching and we are working to earn $50,000 to secure our programming for 2010. Help us spread the news of #KEENBENEFIT to whoever you know.

If you know some one that would like to attend, great!
If you don't know any one that is willing to attend, that's cool too.
All you have to do is help pass along the message.

The idea is that the message of our organization's need of help will quickly spread and eventually the right people will read about us and we will connect and they will attend and they will donate our kids will continue to play throughout 2010 and all will be wonderful!!!!!!

Where:
Location of tweetup/KEEN Session: 929 Academy Road, Los Angeles California, 90017
Location of KEEN Benefit: 16801 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California, 90272

Tickets/Donations: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=28433
Benefit Press Kit: http://bit.ly/3TwANT
Benefit Radio Interview with Tricia Kenney: http://tobtr.com/s/734684
Session article by Bonnie Sayers: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63495.asp
Session photos: http://www.snapmylife.com/pictures/user/1343395
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/keenlosangeles
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/keenla


Why:
Because if we don't meet our financial goals next Sunday, our programs will no longer be offered free to parents.


Thank you. Thank you for clicking the foreign url that brought you to this post. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Thank you for considering to support our benefit. Thank you in advance if you choose to participate in our social media push. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.


About Kids Enjoy Exercise Now
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, Los Angeles meets twice a month. We provide one-to-one supervised, recreation and care opportunities to children with special needs in the Los Angeles community. During a KEEN LA session, children strengthen physical, mental, social, and intellectual skills through non-competitive play. Those often turned away from group settings and physical education come to KEENLA to develop friendships with other children and volunteer coaches. We empower our athletes to lead an entire day of activities ranging from baseball, soccer, basketball, arts and crafts, jump rope, hop scotch, go cart racing, and dancing... all at no cost to parents and caregivers.

Dyslexic author offers a different outlook for kids who don't fit in

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 5:44 PM PDT

By Tony Lystra

By the end of his first day of first grade, Jonathan Mooney was the bad kid. He fidgeted. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

Every day at school was miserable. Mooney said he was always “chilling with the janitor in the hallway,” because his teachers booted him from the classroom. He was “on a first-name basis with Shirley, the receptionist in the principal’s office.” And when he wasn’t in trouble, he was hiding in the bathroom, his face streaked with tears, to avoid having to read.

He was labeled dyslexic in fourth grade and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder the following year. He dropped out of school for a year in sixth grade and began plotting his suicide. He didn’t learn to read until he was 12.

And yet, Mooney graduated in 2000 from Brown University, an Ivy League school, with a degree in English literature. He was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and founded a nonprofit organization to help students with learning disabilities.

How did he do it? On Monday, during a presentation hosted by the Family House Academy, a private school in Kelso, Mooney said he certainly didn’t become a “normal” person.

In fact, “normal people suck,” he said. “It is a tyrannical idea that there is a normal way to be in the world.”

Mooney, who has written two books about the world of so-called “special education” students, told the audience of more than 100 parents, students and educators who had gathered at the Cowlitz PUD building in Longview that the education system broke him down. He simply couldn’t fit in. And before long he was convinced he was “stupid, crazy and lazy.”

He offered an alternative outlook Monday. Most artists, entrepreneurs and innovators were just like him as children, said Mooney, who is 30 and lives in Los Angeles. They weren’t incapable of learning, he said. They were simply “late neurological bloomers.”

Children with learning disabilities are often “on a different timeline,” he said. Which, “means that things can change. And there’s a lot of hope in that message. And it’s not a message that we’re giving kids in this culture.”

“We spend a lot of time trying to fix kids like me,” he said. “Guess what we lose sight of? We lose sight of what’s right with kids like me.”

Mooney, a vivacious bouncing red-head with a booming voice, told parents and teachers not to ask whether the children around them are smart, but “how is my child smart?”

He suggested talking to kids about the different ways people show their intelligence. One of the great ironies of child psychology, he said, is that ADHD isn’t a deficit of attention; it’s an ability to pay attention to seemingly a thousand things at once, which will come in handy on Wall Street or other chaotic work environments.

If kids are struggling, he said, focus less on remedial skills and channel them into areas where they excel, such as a debate club for a kid who’s particularly verbal but not so good at writing.

And don’t tell kids they have to sit still in their desks, he said. The fidgeting stimulates the brain and helps them pay attention.

Mooney also told parents to become advocates for their children at school — and to teach kids to stand up for themselves. When Mooney applied to Brown, he told the school he wouldn’t give them SAT scores because he bombed the test. The school didn’t allow face-to-face interviews as part of its admissions process, so Mooney waited in an office for 12 hours until he got one.



He spent his years at Brown pacing in the back of lecture halls, taking notes on a clipboard. He studied using books on tape. And in his own oddball way, he began making his way in the world. He said he once got an A on a paper at Brown, even though, his dyslexia in full effect, he wrote it on “orgasmic chemistry” instead of “organic chemistry.”



“Tell a kid, ‘You’re not broken,” he told the audience. “Normal’s broken.”

Vista Del Mar Hosts — Groundbreaking Autism Conference for Parents and Professionals

Thursday, Nov 12 8:00a to 4:00p
at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Los Angeles, CA

Please share our benefit story with your friends and family. November 1st, at the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades

Please share this video with at least one other person you know.

Embed it on your site.

Link it on your facebook/twitter.

If you have any questions, feel free to take a look at our press kit.

Please help us to spread the story about the KEEN LA Benefit with the Los Angeles community. our children are depending on us to continue to provide free recreational programs for children with special needs.

Here is an article about KEEN LA from Bonnie Sayers

Listen to our radio interview with Tricia Kenney on Discussing Autism, Blog Talk Radio



Save our organization. Attend the KEEN LA Benefit!

Buy your ticket NOW at keenlosangeles.org

Thanks guys!!!