Welcome to Easter Seals of Birmingham Alabama

Opportunity League

Opportunity League practices started February 22nd. We will have 4 teams of 8 and more than 50 volunteers! Don't miss opening day on March 27th at Pelham Park and Rec!

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OMIS Fundraiser and Colby & Camden birthday party

Child Ambassador Colby Spangler had a joint birthday party with his brother Camden and donated all the money back to their Easter Seals Walk With Me Team. Between the party and a fundraiser at OMIS, the Spanglers raised more than $3,500. Thank you Spangler family!

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Eat, Drink, Think Event
Thanks to everyone that came out to Black Market Bar to support Walk With Me Team Thomas! The event raised $1600 and they gave away more than 30 raffle items.

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Creek View Elementary Pep Rally
A Big Thank you to Creek View Elementary School for raising $300 for Child Ambassador Caroline! We had a great pep rally thanks to Dollar Bill from 102.5 The Bull and the Thompson High School Cheerleaders!!

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Meadow View Elementary pep rally
A BIG Thank You to Meadow View for raising
more than $2,000 for Child Ambassador Harrison Billingsly

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Thanks to everyone that attended the Steel event on Wednesday, February 17th in support of Walk With Me. We raised $410!!!

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City of Pelham Mayor Don Murphy presented Easter Seals Child Ambassadors Colby Spangler (left) and Harrison Billinglsy (right) with a proclamation claiming March 6, 2010 Walk With Me Day

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Easter Seals partners with city to create special needs baseball teams

By AUSTIN PHILLIPS / City Editor of the Pelham Reporter

Easter Seals and the Pelham Parks and Recreation Department are joining together to give special needs children another recreational outlet.
In the spring, the parks department will have a new special needs baseball league for ages 5-18.
A few weeks ago, Easter Seals Director of Marketing and Development Kelli Keith approached Parks and Recreation Director Billy Crandall and Mayor Don Murphy about creating the league.
Crandall, Keith and Easter Seals Executive Director Lori Senn even went to the Mobile-Pensacola area to observe other special needs leagues, such as the Challenger league.
Although the new league is in the beginning stages, Crandall said he expects to field one or two teams, and those teams will play each other and other special needs teams around the area, including Oak Mountain.
Regardless of who the teams play, Crandall said the main mission is to have fun.
“What we’re trying to do is provide a place and a venue to have these kids come out and play just like everybody else,” Crandall said.
Murphy said he expects the league will be a big hit for the community.
“I’m all charged up about it,” Murphy said. “It’s our responsibility to do things like this. I’m looking forward to being a volunteer.”
The league will utilize volunteers, parents and friends as each player will have a “buddy” on the field with them at all times to assist whenever it’s needed.
“We want to try to make this fun, play some baseball and have some activity,” Crandall said.
If all goes well, Crandall said he hopes to expand the program in the to other sports in the future, including tennis.
“I think it’s going to be great for the community,” Crandall said.

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EASTER SEALS THERAPIST NAMED A HERO

Easter Seals of the Birmingham Area is proud to announce that Pediatric Speech Pathologist Kandis Harris was recently named a Health Care Hero finalist by the Birmingham Business Journal in the category of Health Care Provider Non-Physician.

Kandis has been providing services at Easter Seals for more than five years and continues to make an impact on the lives of children with disabilities. Providing speech therapy, Kandis has given a voice to many children that would not have been able to communicate otherwise. She is a specialist in Augmentative Communication devices, better known as talkers. Often times, children use a talker as a way to let you know what they want and need or as a bridge to help them become verbal. “I love helping people to communicate,” said Kandis. “The best feeling in the world is working with a child that’s non-verbal and then you see their faces light up when they finally have a way to tell you what they need.”

Easter Seals of the Birmingham Area is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We have been providing services for children and adults with disabilities in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St.Clair and Walker counties for more than 40 years. Our mission is to create solutions that change the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families. Learn more at www.eastersealsbham.org

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