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April ActivitiesBy Barbara Palmer | |
 It has been an exciting and passion-filled Legislative Session. The House and Senate will need to return to Tallahassee before July 1 to agree on a final budget. We will provide you with details once it has been approved. The month of April was exceptionally busy for me and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).
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 Children's Day Brightens the Capitol | |
| It was all about the little ones–and really, Florida’s future–when children, advocates, state agencies, and service providers converged on the Capitol for Florida Children’s Day. | |
 Florida's Senior Day Shines | |
| Older Floridians came from near and far to participate in Florida Senior Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Department of Elder Affairs. |
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 A Special Run | |
| The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run brought lots of lights and sirens to the Capitol Courtyard as dozens of police motorcycles escorted the huge group of runners to the Capitol. |
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 Sportsability Is Where the Fun Is! | |
| SportsAbility is all about enjoying the great outdoors using whatever abilities you have. It’s the main focus of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA), which sponsors SportsAbility events in different parts of the state each year. |
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 APD Welcomes Daughters and Sons | |
| Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is an enjoyable event on many levels. It’s a chance for young people to visit where their mom or dad works, see what work environments are like, and think about their future careers. |
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 PR Awards Presented to APD | |
| The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) won four awards during the Capital Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association’s Image Awards on April 16 in Tallahassee. |
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 ADA 25th Anniversary Celebration | |
| You are invited to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 24 in Tallahassee. |
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 From Intern to Employee | |
| Tiffine Dennard is an employee of the University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development. She began her job last year in March. Prior to being offered a permanent position, Dennard spent 12 weeks learning various job skills as part of a paid internship sponsored by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) at the Mailman Center. |
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 Living with Spina Bifida | |
| I am 41 years old and I’m dealing with my spina bifida every day. I work full-time at Tyndall Federal Credit Union in Panama City. I have been with Tyndall for 20 years! |
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Around the State | |
 Sunland to Host Art Event | |
| APD’s Sunland Center in Marianna will host its first annual Art in the Park exhibit on Saturday, May 2, beginning at 10 a.m. Central time at Sunland’s Environmental Park. |
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 Daytona Beach Woman Creates Own Mentoring Opportunity | |
| After researching opportunities to learn about fashion design, and finding none at local colleges and schools, Mildretta Williams took matters into her own hands. She decided the best way to learn about fashion was to try it firsthand. |
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 Team APD on the Run! | |
| “Team APD” from the Fort Myers Field Office of the Suncoast Region participated in the Color Vibe 5K charity run/walk event for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, Inc. on Saturday, April 4. |
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 Health Fair Coming to Miami May 9 | |
| A free community health fair for individuals of all ages with intellectual or developmental disabilities will be held on Saturday, May 9, in the Leisure Access Center at A.D. “Doug” Barnes Park, 3401 SW 72nd Avenue in Miami. |
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 Miami-Dade Transition Fair a Success | |
| On Wednesday afternoon, April 8, my colleague Michael Cardello and I made our way to A.D. Barnes Park, just west of Coral Gables, to represent APD and the Southern Region at the first Transition Fair hosted by Miami-Dade County Parks Disability Services. |
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 Fun Day Lives Up to its Name | |
| On March 7, a cloudy Saturday morning, Southern Region Manager Evelyn Alvarez and I debated if we should embark on our scheduled trip from Miami to Key Largo. We had planned to attend the 6th Annual Special Needs Fun Day as part of our ADA 25th anniversary commemoration, but the morning was quite dreary. |
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 Area 1 FCC Learns About Special Needs Trusts | |
| Kristen Marks, owner and attorney with My Pink Lawyer, was the guest speaker at the Area 1 Family Care Council (FCC) meeting in Pensacola on March 16. She shared information on trusts and guardian advocates. |
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 Pinwheels for Prevention! | |
| April was Child Abuse Prevention month, when the Ounce of Prevention Fund sponsors the annual Pinwheels for Prevention campaign in Florida. APD has zero tolerance for the abuse of Florida’s most vulnerable, so it naturally supports this effort to raise public awareness about this very troubling issue. |
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17th Annual Family Café | |
| You are invited to the 17th Annual Family Café, June 5 through 7, at the Caribe Royale located at 2101 World Center Drive in Orlando. |
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Champion Staff | |
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