LOCAL STUDENTS AND BUSINESSES HELPED HARVEST COINS FOR BONA VISTA AS PART OF DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH, MARCH 2010!

During the entire month of March, local schools and businesses counted change to help Bona Vista recognize March as Disability Awareness Month.

For the past 15 years, Sycamore Financial Group and area students have teamed up during the month of March to help raise money to benefit the adults and children at Bona Vista. Local school children participate by “harvesting” their coins and bringing their change to their classroom. Often, classrooms have competitions to see who can raise the most money or devise other unique challenges. Local businesses get involved by matching the funds raised by their favorite school, or posing challenges to specific classrooms. Last year, their efforts netted more than $24,000 and since the campaign began, nearly $215,000 has been contributed! The students and businesses of Howard and Miami counties have made it possible for Bona Vista to purchase a wheelchair assessible van for adult consumers, a multi-sensory ball pit for children, kid friendly computer software and touch screens, and helped with a variety of other needs.

This year, more than $6,000 was raised through Coin Harvest and will be used to purchase items and resources for our Early Childhood Programs, which include, Keys For Kids Preschool, Early Head Start and Positive Results For Kids. This year’s leader in school fundraising goes to Western Middle School Student Council, who raised more than $2,300! Northwestern was a close second with raising over $1,700, and Maple Crest Middle School raised more than $800! Bona Vista couldn’t do it without the tremendous help of the following schools and businesses: Community First Bank, Woody’s, UAW Local 685, Carroll High School, Community Health Network, Subway, Walgreens, Positive Results for Kids, St. John’s Lutheran School in Peru, Keys for Kids Preschool, American Montessori, Tri-Central Elementary, Lafayette Park Elementary, BioLife, Walt Moss Barber Shop, Bon Air Elementary and Middle School, Whiskey Creek, and Haynes International. Special thanks to Solidarity Federal Credit Union for counting the “harvested coins” and to Sycamore Financial Group for annually matching the contributions collected by businesses and schools!

Bona Vista provided disability awareness training to several local schools including, but not limited to Keys for Kids Preschool, Bona Vista’s Early Head Start and American Montessori Academy, Lafayette Park Elementary, Maple Crest Middle School and Western Middle School. This interactive program can be customized for children or adults. Featuring hands-on activities, participants experienced what it might be like to have a physical challenge, such as a vision or hearing impairment. Groups are invited to tour Bona Vista as part of the disability awareness training program, or the program can be brought to your school or business.

During the past year, more than 6,000 individuals either toured one of Bona Vista’s facilities in Kokomo and Peru, or heard a presentation from the staff. Of those individuals, 56% received disability awareness training, allowing them to better understand the needs and challenges of individuals with disabilities.

Bona Vista would like to thank everyone that participated in this year’s Coin Harvest event. It takes the whole community to make things happen!

All proceeds of the Coin Harvest benefit Bona Vista Programs and are generously matched by Sycamore Financial Group.

To receive more information about how your school or business can participate in the 2011 Coin Harvest, contact Brianne Boruff at 457-8273 ext. 322. If you would like additional information about Bona Vista's Disability Awareness Program, contact Troy Bowers at 457-8273 ext. 321.