Annual Boston Bruins Party

For the past few years, our students anxiously await the arrival of Santa, accompanied by State Police, which means its Boston Bruins Party time. Yesterday, the excitement was high as Santa arrived in Hanover and by police escort, our students rode in buses to the TD North Center. Once there, they enjoyed lunch, music and dancing and Santa. Former Bruins players delighted our students. This picture is outside the home of our beloved Bruins and Celtics with former Bruin great Ken Hodge, my son Jon, and Frank Mendes, the former State police officer and Cushing parent,who started this holiday celebration over 20 years ago.

With Grateful Thanks

During this season of miracles, we are celebrating our own here at our Hanover campus. On last Wednesday night, right before midnight, an alert staff person smelled smoke and discovered smoke coming from the dryer. In moments, 10 students and several staff were evacuated to safety-before the alarm or the sprinkler activated. The Hanover Fire Department responded immediately and the fire was contained to the laundry room. However, there is extensive water and smoke damage on both floors and it has been estimated that it will be 1-3 months before the students can return to the house. In the meantime, they are living in other homes and everyone is doing well. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Tim Shriver and my recent DC trip

I was in Washington, DC this week for a meeting of the National Down Syndrome Society about establishing priorities for disability policy. While I was there I was able to meet with Timothy Shriver, the Chairman of the Board of Special Olympics, Inc. Special Olympics is known by many as a sports training and competition program for athletes with intellectual disabilities-and here at the Cardinal Cushing Centers, we sponsor dozens of regular and unified teams each year and also offer the Young Athlete Program. However, Special Olympics is more than a sports program and among the initiatives they are leading is the elimination of the "r" word. If you want to join the campaign, take the pledge to stop the use of the work"retard" as an insult at: http://www.r-word.org/. Here is a picture of Tim Shriver and me in front of the "get rid of the "R" word poster outside his office.

Pictures from Dave Kartunen's Visit