Thank You Strider Bikes

Strider Sports International donated two Strider bikes to Imagine!’s Out & About department as part of their Rider Fund program. Last year, Strider donated a total of more than $300,000 through the Rider Fund, of which more than 75% went to individuals with special needs. Strider representative Marty Martinez even came out to Lafayette to give a clinic on the bikes for Out & About participants.

“Out & About is thrilled to have received the donation of two Strider bicycles to use in both Children and Adult programs,” said Megan McKean, Out & About Therapeutic Specialist. “We believe the use of these Strider bikes will help our participants increase balance, stability, and confidence. We are so thankful Strider has shared the learning tools with us to help our participants achieve success in this wonderful and fun experience.” To learn more about Strider’s bikes may benefit individuals with special needs, click here. 

Thank You Jensen Guitar Company and The Willow River Music Emporium

Jensen Guitar Company and The Willow River Music Emporium (pictured above are Don Jensen and Sandy Farnsworth) made a generous donation of a guitar to Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome as part of their "Gift of Music" Giveaway program. Music is a staple at the Charles Family SmartHome, and the new guitar will be a great addition. It's so heartwarming when a small local business gives back so generously, and we are most appreciative. In fact, the residents of the home created a “thank you” video for Jensen Guitar Company and The Willow River Music Emporium. Check it out below.

 

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thank You Thursday

On this day of thanks, Imagine! would like to say “thank you” to:

The people we serve: they inspire and teach us every single day.

Our employees: dedication and passion abound among staff members at every level of Imagine!. They are difference makers in the very best ways.

Our donors: the continued and generous support of those who contribute financially to our mission allows us to offer services above and beyond what our traditional (and frequently shrinking) funding sources allow.

Our volunteers: Imagine! volunteers share their time and talent directly with the people Imagine! serves and with projects of all sizes, increasing the quality of support and services we are able to provide.

Our community: we are so fortunate to live in a community that embraces the individuals we serve and the work we do. We couldn’t have reached the level of success we have without our community’s demonstrated commitment to an inclusive world.

You: whatever your association with Imagine!, if you are reading this right now we thank you for your interest in our mission and in creating world of possibilities for people of all abilities.

Kettlebells 4 Christmas Supports Imagine!

MOOV is hosting a “Kettlebell Swing-a-Thon” on Dec. 12, 2015 to raise money for Imagine!. Donations/pledges are on a per-swing basis (i.e. $0.25/swing). Participants will complete their swings between 1p and 4p on 12/12/2015 and will receive an email on their specific start time 24 hours prior to the event. Our muscles are burning just thinking about it!

If you are interested in participating click here. You can also learn more on the Kettlebells 4 Christmas Facebook page.

MOOV was born out of boredom with the normal gym experience and a love for functional fitness and alternative therapies, and was founded by a team of fitness enthusiasts who wanted more from their training. This event clearly demonstrates their creativity, in addition to their commitment to their community.

Support Imagine! At Finkle & Garf Brewery Dec. 5

Dan Garfinkle, the owner and manager of the awesomely named Finkle and Garf Brewery, was contacted by Imagine!’s Out & About department to chat about their “Thank Goodness Its Saturday (TGIS)” program and the possibility of the brewery hosting a few parents for a casual afternoon (after holiday shopping at Flatirons Crossing) of socializing on December 5th. Dan volunteered to host our parents from 2pm-4pm that afternoon and provide a few pitchers of beer.

Then, Dan made a surprise suggestion: "Let's make it bigger." Aside from donating pitchers of beer to TGIS for the parents with our group, he offered to donate 10% of net proceeds from December 5th to Out & About! We are so blown away by his generosity and cannot believe how awesome this is for Out & About!

So please support Dan and Out & About by heading to Finkle and Garf Brewery (5455 Spine Rd, Unit A, Boulder, CO 80301) for some outstanding craft beers on Saturday, December 5. We’ll see you there!

Support Imagine! While You Shop This Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is upon us, which also means the shopping season is upon us.

Here’s a super easy way to bring in money to Imagine! every time you shop online at Amazon through the AmazonSmile program. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Imagine! (listed under our legal name as the Developmental Disabilities Center). AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.

Just sign in to this link when you want to shop at Amazon and start earning money for Imagine!: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0526620 

Once you have signed in, a percentage of all of your future purchases will automatically go to Imagine! unless you change your designation.

Thanks in advance for helping out!

A Zolo Thanksgiving Treat

Today, we’d like to offer our sincere thanks to Dave Query, who is treating individuals served by Imagine! and their families to a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. This is the 12th year Query has hosted this event, which will again be at Zolo Southwestern Grill, 2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder.

There are three seatings, and all three have been filled already! That means a lot of folks will be the recipients of Dave's generosity.

Dave is the owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, including restaurants Centro Latin Kitchen, Jax Fish House – Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Glendale, and Kansas City, LoLa Coastal Mexican, Post Brewing Company, West End Tavern, and Zolo Grill. Dave is donating the makings for a delicious Zolo-style repast with all the trimmings, and the wait staff is volunteering its time. There is no charge for the meal, and no tips are necessary.

Dave Query (in the center in the back) with family and Zolo staff members at a recent Thanksgiving feast for individuals served by Imagine!

In a related story, Dave was recently honored with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur Legacy Award, for building a lasting tradition of success, bold vision, and values that is a model for other entrepreneurs and businesses to follow. We couldn’t imagine a more deserving recipient, and offer our hearty congratulations on top of our gratitude for his continued support of the people we serve.

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Clean Energy Collective - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor
Doug Fuhr
Kaiser Permanente - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor
Susan LaHoda - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor
Stephen Tebo - partial Imagine! Celebration Silver Sponsor

Associate ($500-$999)
Ruth and Buck Frye

Supporter ($250-$499)
Jackie and Rick Nelson

Friend ($1-$249)
Kay and Michael Forsythe
Justin Grimmett
Daryl Mercer

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Moe's Broadway Bagels - for Out & About TGIS event

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Wish List Wednesday - Holiday Edition

Welcome to a special Holiday edition of The Wish List. If you are able to provide an item (or items) listed below, please contact Patti Micklin at pmicklin@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome.

Imagine!’s Santa Fe Home is in need of holiday decorations: a very large tree, a star or angel to put on top, many lights, boughs of holly, ornaments, statue types of decorations that can be placed on tables or mantles (no candles or candle holders), a wreath. 

Will you be the person who puts the “Santa” in the Santa Fe Home? Please consider helping make it a holly jolly holiday for the residents of Imagine!’s newest group home.

Thank You, Safeway Foundation

Today, we’d like to offer our sincere thanks to the Safeway Foundation for a grant that will help us implement more technology into our services.

With the generous support from the Safeway Foundation’s grant of $3,100, Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department will purchase electronic tablets, equipment and applications to help prepare participants for work assignments and to foster their success in specific jobs. Participants will use the electronic tablets in developing general skills to facilitate job placement, including reading and basic mathematics. The electronic tablets will also benefit participants in learning specific job-related skills to facilitate independence. Examples include task prompting, video reminders of the steps involved in certain tasks, and communication with offsite job coaches of changes in job duties. Ultimately, the end result are participants who are engaged, have increased self-worth, and an enhanced quality of life.

Thank you, Safeway Foundation, for partnering with Imagine! to ensure access to technology for all!

Pictured below are (left) Susan Morris, Safeway’s Denver Division President and Michelle Conkey, Imagine!’s Grant Writer.

Support Imagine! On Colorado Gives Day

Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Imagine!, and the many people like you who support our mission, believes in the potential of all. We believe in babies, toddlers, families, and adults at work and at play.

Colorado Gives Day is December 8, 2015, and it is a great opportunity to support everyone's potential through a donation to Imagine!. The Colorado Gives Day $1 Million Incentive Fund will boost your donation, making your dollars do more to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Incentive Fund is a pool of dollars, provided by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, to boost every donation made through ColoradoGives.org on Colorado Gives Day. For example, if Imagine! receives 10% of the total donations made on Colorado Gives Day, Imagine! also receives 10% of the $1 Million Incentive Fund.

You can even preschedule your donation! When prescheduling, be sure to select “Dec. 8” as your donation date to have your contribution qualify for the Incentive Fund boost.

Preschedule your gift today, or think of us when making your donation on December 8! 

Thanks!

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Lynda and Bill Johnson - Imagine! Celebration Gold Sponsor

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Dianna and Joe Tesauro

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Benson, Kerrane, Storz & Nelson - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor
David Edwards
Handmade in Colorado

Supporter ($250-$499)
Cirrelda and Jack Mills

Friend ($1-$249)
Debra and Jay Flora
Ken Hackbarth
IBM
Jo Kearney
Carol and Tom Kent
Mary Joy Linfield
Glennys and John McPhilimy
Overton & Associates
Grace and Don Pierce
Beth and Ed Reichstein
Michael Riedeman
In Memory of Roger Bineau 
  Debbie and Glenn Ring
Bette Royce
Shelley and Jeff Stiffler
Jane Stockebrand
Terry and Jim Vratny
Jacque and Mark Zaremba
Jane and Wayne Zirkin

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Charles Byerly - washer and dryer for Innovations

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Wish List Wednesday

Welcome to the latest edition of The Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Patti Micklin at pmicklin@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome. Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

This week's Wish List:

• Gas Grill for the Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield 
• Welcome bags for children with developmental disabilities entering a new foster care placement (blankets, PJs, stuffed animals, etc.) 
• iPads (many departments use these for clients ); heavy duty iPad covers 
• A set of four kitchen chairs for the Garden Place Home in Longmont 
• Picnic table for Manhattan Group Home in Boulder 
• Arts and crafts baskets or gift certificates to Hobby Lobby/Michael’s for the Foothills Group Home in Boulder 
• Winter holiday decorations for the new Next Step Group Home in Broomfield: a very large tree, a star or angel to put on top, many lights, boughs of holly, ornaments, statue types of decorations that can be placed on tables or mantles (no candles or candle holders), a wreath 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Leslie and Sandy Brown

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Safeway Foundation - iPads for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Elevations Credit Union - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor

Associate ($500-$999)
Jana and Chris Petersen - Imagine! Celebration Table Sponsor-half

Supporter ($250-$499)
Indiegogo - Crowdfunding for Innovations Fall Formal
In Honor of Hunter Petersen
  Jean and Joel Pedersen

Friend ($1-$249)
Mary and Jay Balzer - Imagine! Celebration tickets
In Memory of Roger Bineau
  Bedford Central School District Performing Arts Department
Helen Bosley
Rick Brown – Q1 payroll deduction for Imagine!'s Out & About department
Carol Chesser – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Mark Emery – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Susan Gabriel – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Jessica Gaylord – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Jasmine Hammond – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Martha Heimbaugh – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Fred Hobbs – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Jill Hobson
IBM
In Memory of Sheila Grimm
  Kaye Lambright and Denny Kirkingberg
Eva Klemens – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Patrick Krause – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Richard Lowe – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Stephanie MacAlpine – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Courtney and Greg Macchia
Holly and Terry Maher
Colette Marie – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Ed McDowell
Megan Mehm – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Rebecca Novinger – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Sue and Jim Rector
Jaclyn Ramaley
Sarah Rollins
Heather Sabo – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Gail Scott – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Caroline Siegfried – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Victoria Thorne – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Chantelle Tweten-Crumbliss – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Marilyn and Remsen Voorhis
Greg Wellems – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About
Thelma Whitaker
Sterling Wind – Q1 payroll deduction for Out & About

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Rebecca Heck and Tom Zirbel - clothes, toys and supplies for Imagine!’s Dayspring department

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Bamboobies - nursing pads and balm for Imagine! nursing room
Boxcar Coffee Roasters - coffee and drinks for Imagine! Provider Fair drawing
Full Cycle - gift card for Imagine! Provider Fair drawing
Peppercorn - picnic items for Imagine! Provider Fair drawing
Yoga Loft - yoga for Imagine!’s Family Support department

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Wish List Wednesday

Welcome to the latest edition of The Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Patti Micklin at pmicklin@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome. Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

This week's Wish List:

• Recliners (electric or manual) for 19th Street Group Home 
• Basketball goal for Manhattan Group Home in Boulder 
• Essential Tremor adaptive utensils, clothing, computer aids, writing devices, etc. for individuals with hand tremors at the Foothills Group Home in Boulder (http://essentialtremor.org/treatments/assistive-devices/) 
• New carpet for two bedrooms at Garden Place in Longmont 
• New barrier free lifts for moving individuals from wheelchair to bed or bath (being safer for clients and for staff) at the 19th Street Group Home in Boulder (we received a $200 donation towards these $3,000 units!) 
• American Furniture Warehouse gift certificates for upgrades in furniture at Garden Place in Longmont, at and the Foothills Group Home and the Manhattan Group Home in Boulder 
• Two camping lanterns for Out & About Catalog evening activities 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

Preschedule Your Gift for Colorado Gives Day

Now that November has begun, prescheduling your Colorado Gives Day (Dec. 8) gift is available.

The Colorado Gives Day $1 Million Incentive Fund will boost your donation, making your dollars do more to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When prescheduling, be sure to select “Dec. 8” as your donation date to have your contribution qualify for the Incentive Fund boost. The $1 Million Incentive Fund is a pool of dollars, provided by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, to boost every donation made through ColoradoGives.org on Colorado Gives Day. For example, if Imagine! receives 10% of the total donations made on Colorado Gives Day, Imagine! also receives 10% of the $1 Million Incentive Fund.

Preschedule your gift today!