For the Babies Gala
Please Join The Lake Drive Foundation
Thursday, May 17
6:00-10:00PM
The Villa, Mountain Lakes, NJ
To Benefit The Lake Drive Sound Start Program
For Babies Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Sue Thomas and her special skills dog, Katie
Honorary Chair-Angela Kubisky
Executive Vice President, Membership and Marketing at Morris County Chamber of Commerce
Honoree – Dr. Laura Crawford, Au.D. FAAA CCC/A
Program Director of MidAtlantic Newborn and Infant Medical Services (MANIMS), Providing Newborn Hearing Screening for 10,000 babies a year at St. Clare's Hospital, Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, and Chilton Hospital.
Keynote Speaker–Sue Thomas, "F.B. Eye"
Former Undercover F.B.I. Agent, Writer, Speaker, and Trainer of Special Skills Dogs for Hearing Impaired Individuals
Click Here for Tickets or to make a Donation.
About Keynote Speaker, Sue Thomas
Sue Thomas is profoundly deaf. But nothing can keep this indomitable woman from living her life to the fullest. At the age of 18 months Sue Thomas suffered an instant and total loss of sound. When her devastated parents were told that little Sue would never amount to anything, they made a vow to do whatever it would take to enable their daughter to become successful in the 'hearing world'.
Through speech therapy Sue developed her voice. She also became an expert lip reader. At the age of seven, Thomas became the youngest Ohio State Champion free-style skater in skating history. She learned to play piano, attended public school and graduated from Springfield College with a degree in Political Science and International Affairs.
After college, Sue heard that the FBI was looking for deaf people. She started out as a fingerprint examiner, but when an FBI agent discovered her lip reading ability, she became a key member of an undercover surveillance team.
In 1990 Sue Thomas wrote her autobiography entitled Silent Night. The acclaimed book became the basis for the TV series to follow. Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye was watched by more than 2.5 million viewers in the United States and was syndicated to 60 nations. The weekly drama helped raise awareness of the abilities of those with physical challenges.
In spite of being diagnosed in 2001 with multiple sclerosis, Sue remains active as a compelling speaker and runs a nonprofit center in Vermont to train special skill dogs like “Katie” to assist hearing impaired individuals.
About our Honoree, Dr. Laura Crawford
As Program Director of MidAtlantic Newborn and Infant Medical Services (MANIMS), Dr. Crawford oversees newborn hearing screening for nearly 10,000 babies a year in four major hospitals, Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, St. Clare’s Hospital and Chilton Hospital. Dr. Crawford is responsible for the program’s development, implementation, daily oversight, clinical research and annual conference, Current Topics in Congenital Hearing Loss.
Under her leadership, MANIMS’s model is a leading program in the state in identifying and tracking the follow up of newborns with hearing loss. Statewide, 56.7% of babies who do not pass their newborn hearing screening rates are lost to follow up. Dr. Crawford’s team ensures that every infant receives testing, and rescreening when necessary, prior to discharge. Fewer than 0.1% of infants are lost to discharge.
With future plans to publish results MANIMS strives to contribute to the success of newborn hearing screening programs both nationally and internationally.
In New Jersey, Universal Newborn Hearing Screening was mandated effective in January 2002. Dr. Crawford reflects how Newborn Hearing Screening has given babies with hearing loss a sound start for successful futures.
"I will never forget the first time I had to tell a parent that their child had a significant hearing loss. The child was a little boy age 3 who had bright blue eyes. I gave him some crayons and paper and sat down with mom as she cried. You can imagine the feeling of loss for her “perfect” little boy but what she cried the most over was how guilty she felt that she had missed it, not seen the signs, was not there for him. She expressed how she should have done something sooner and blamed herself not only for the hearing loss but the delay. She was distraught over the fact that she constantly yelled at him for not listening or following directions.
Unfortunately this scenario played out too often. The advent of universal newborn hearing screening could never take away feelings of loss, anger, denial and heartache a parent feels when they find out that something is wrong with their child. With counseling and education however the feelings are replaced with hope, assurance and confidence in the success of their child. Universal newborn hearing screening took away the most important aspects of a new diagnosis, shock, regret and guilt.
I have been extremely fortunate in my career to see the changes that early diagnosis and early intervention can make in the lives of children born with hearing loss. I am extremely proud to be cog in this process, one part of a system that finally works.
This award is indeed an honor. The Lake Drive Program is not only one of the most committed programs to excellence in education, but what stands out is their commitment to the children. Just walking through the doors you can sense the genuine concern and love the staff, teachers, directors and administrators all express for the children. It is a privilege to work with them all.” -Dr. Laura Crawford
For the Babies Gala Sponsorship Opportunities
$20,000 Presenting Sponsor
- Two VIP tables for ten with premiere seating
- Reception with Keynote Speaker Sue Thomas, former FBI Agent
- Lead positioning of corporate name/logo on all collateral material (Subject to print deadlines)
- Company Logo with link displayed as Presenting Sponsor on Gala event website
- Special sponsorship recognition during dinner
- Corporate signage in pre-reception area of Gala
- Corporate logo displayed on video screen in banquet room
- Ability to place item in guest thank you bag
- Sponsor three children for a year in The Sound Start Program
$15,000 Platinum Sponsor
- VIP table for ten with premiere seating
- Reception with Keynote Speaker Sue Thomas, former FBI Agent
- Corporate name/logo on all collateral material (Subject to print deadlines)
- Company Logo with link on Gala event website
- Special sponsorship recognition during dinner
- Corporate signage in pre-reception area of Gala
- Corporate logo displayed on video screen in banquet room
- Ability to place item in guest thank you bag
- Sponsor two children for a year in The Sound Start Program
$10,000 Gold Sponsor
- VIP table for ten with premiere seating
- Reception with Keynote Speaker Sue Thomas, former FBI Agent
- Corporate name/logo on all collateral material (Subject to print deadlines)
- Company Logo with link on Gala event website
- Corporate logo displayed on video screen in banquet room
- Special sponsorship recognition during dinner
- Sponsor a child for a year in The Sound Start Program
$5,000 Silver Sponsor
- VIP table for ten with premiere seating
- Reception with Keynote Speaker Sue Thomas, former FBI Agent
- Corporate name/logo on all collateral material (Subject to print deadlines)
- Company Logo with link on Gala event website
- Corporate logo displayed on video screen in banquet room
- Special sponsorship recognition during dinner
- Sponsor a child for a year in The Sound Start Program
$2,500 Bronze Sponsor
- Table for Ten with premiere seating
- Reception with Keynote Speaker Sue Thomas, former FBI Agent
- Corporate name/logo on all collateral material (Subject to print deadlines)
- Company Logo with link on Gala event website
- Special sponsorship recognition during dinner
$500 Patron
- Special seating for two at Gala
- Recognition at Gala
Individual TIcket Prices
$125 Per Person $250 Per Couple $1,250 per Table
Click Here for Tickets or to make a Donation.
For more information about sponsorships please contact Sueanne Sylvester at 973-265-4168; ssylvester@mtlakes.org.
The Lake Drive Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) corporation. Tax ID# 22-3473606.
Lake Drive Programs Honored as Healthcare Hero,
Wins Education Hero-Organization Category
Michele Klimovitch and Trish Filiaci accept Award
The Healthcare Heroes awards program recognizes excellence and innovation and honors individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of healthcare in New Jersey. Finalists were selected from more than 100 nominations statewide in eleven categories: Corporate Achievement, Education Hero-Individual, Education Hero-Organization, Hospital of the Year, Innovation Hero-Individual, Innovation Hero-Organization, Nurse of the Year, Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility of the Year, Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center of the Year, Physician of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Finalists and winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges including: Donald J. Cinotti, MD, Medical Society of NJ; David Knowlton, New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and D.N. Lombardi, Ph.D., USMC®.
The Education category recognizes individuals and organizations making a difference in health education either in the community or the industry. Other finalists in the Education Organization Category included The Armenian American Health Professionals Organization in Far Hills; Liberty Science Center in Jersey City; Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey – Lutheran Senior LIFE at Jersey City; and The Meridian Health Pawsitive Action Team in Neptune.
The Lake Drive Programs for Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing received the top award in the category for the wide-ranging health and educational services the school provides to hearing impaired children and their families. Lake Drive offers New Jersey’s most comprehensive continuum of educational opportunities for children with hearing loss from birth to high school graduation. The team of specialists includes teachers of the deaf, speech and language pathologists, pediatric audiologists, physical and occupational therapists, clinical social workers, psychologists, and dysphagia experts offering the only eating and drinking skills program in a public school setting in New Jersey.
“We provide whatever programming is needed to help prepare our students to lead independent, fulfilling lives,” explains Trish Filiaci, Principal of The Lake Drive Programs.
“Each student has very individualized needs. We tailor our programs to maximize each child’s potential. Over the years we have been able to watch our students develop into adults with meaningful careers and promising futures.”
Graduates have gone into medicine, dentistry, finance, the hi-tech industry, teaching, social work, graphic design and other fields. They’ve competed in the World Games, volunteered with Holocaust survivors, and taught sign language in third world countries.
Founded in 1969, Lake Drive has transformed the lives of more than 1,000 students from northern and central New Jersey who are deaf and hard of hearing. While New Jersey’s high school dropout rate is 17%, and the national average for students with hearing loss who do not receive high school diplomas is 50%, Lake Drive’s graduation rate is 100%.
Technological advances such as cochlear implants have dramatically changed the way Lake Drive addresses the educational programming for students.
“Cochlear implants have revolutionized educational opportunities for children who are deaf, but they are not a miracle cure, explains Michele Klimovitch, Supervisor of Programs. It takes intensive therapy, especially in the first three years of life to teach a child how to listen, hear and speak.”
The award reflects the emphasis Lake Drive puts on early intervention. Lake Drive’s Sound Start Early Intervention Program is the most intensive in the state, with a full day inclusive program for toddlers 18 months through 3 years old. In Ivy Nursery, toddlers with and without hearing loss learn side by side in a specially created environment to enhance auditory learning. Designed to take full advantage of the developing brain, Ivy Nursery focuses on language, communication and literacy skills, physical health, well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, cognition in logic and reasoning, creative arts, math and science, family, community and culture. Families attend an education series to build their parenting confidence and reinforce their child’s learning.
Healthcare Heroes, produced by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premiere business news publication, is sponsored by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey Hospital Association, NJTopDocs.com and WithumSmith+Brown, PC.
For more information about The Lake Drive Programs call 973-299-0166 or visit www.lakedriveprograms.org.
Kiwanis Wine Tasting Event Raises $9,000 for Sound Start Program
Last October the Kiwannis Club of Greater Parsippany hosted their Annual Grand Tasting for 280 guests at the Villa in Mountain Lakes benefitting The Lake Drive Foundation. “It’s a pleasure for guests to come to a wonderful event like this and know that it supports a wonderful cause,” shared Grand Tasting Chair, Michael Mulhaul. “I learned about The Lake Drive School and Foundation two years ago and it has become a charity that is very dear to me.” The Kiwanis Club Foundation donated $9,000 from the highly successful
event to support The Sound Start Program. Special thanks to the Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars in Boonton for organizing more than 300 varieties of fine wine, beer and spirits.
Hoop-a-Paluza Basketball Event Nets $20,000 for Sound Start Program
A carnival, prizes, DJ, tons of free food and basketball brought together fundraisers and beneficiaries for a unique afternoon to raise funds for eleven children’s charities in New Jersey and New York.
On Sunday, December 5, Lake Drive staff and students were among the 600 participants at the 9th annual Hoop-a-Paluza at the Millburn High School gym, an event that netted more than $200,000 for the HAPI Foundation, a non-profit based in Essex County. This was the second year The Lake Drive Foundation was selected as a beneficiary of the event and funding will support the Sound Start Program.
For Lake Drive children, meeting NBA player, Darryl Dawkins, known as” Chocolate Thunder” was without a doubt, the highlight of the day.
Hoop-A-Paluza has come a long way since it began in HAPI founder Edward Zimmerman's back yard in 2002, raising more than $2.5 million in nine years. "I wanted to give back to the community by doing something with my kids," Zimmerman said about coming up with the idea of Hoop-A-Paluza.. Zimmerman couldn't have thought of a better way to have kids connect and raise awareness about giving back than through a fun event like Hoop-A-Paluza.
