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Life as being like a Baseball game Good Evening. My name is Rhonda Giffin. I am a Student Council for Exceptional Children representative as well as the Service Learning Award Coordinator for the Rick Wilkins Foundation at the University of North Florida. Today, I want you to reflect on Life as being like a Baseball game. Some sit on the bench, some score the winning run and for some, life throws a curve. But whatever the case, everyone needs to be prepared to run the bases. The Rick Wilkins Foundation has made it possible for many to run the bases in Life, by providing scholarships, professional development opportunities and leisure activities for adults with disabilities. Now suppose you hit a homerun and you are running the bases. At First Base: Think about the lives that benefit through scholarships. Scholarships are provided each semester to the Education Majors at UNF. Each recipient is required to spend 60 hours with an adult or group of adults with disabilities. Activities include: playing games, cleaning, shopping, and attending dances. The scholarship not only provides financial support for the recipients, but it also allows them to build friendships with those whom they would normally not come into contact. At Second Base: Think about the lives that benefit through professional development. The Rick Wilkins Foundation has also donated rooms for learning and recreational activities to the College of Education and Human Services. These rooms are not only used as classrooms for Special Education majors, but are also used as a place for many recreational activities that many adult with disabilities enjoy. These activities make it possible for volunteers to socialize with our adult friends with disabilities, showing them that they can be an active player in the game of life. At Third Base: Think about the lives that benefit through leisure activities. The Rick Wilkins Foundation also provides happy memories for adults with disabilities to add to their scoreboard. Each spring a Grand Slam Grill Out is held at UNF, with food and games. Face Painting, Bingo, a dunking booth, cotton candy, and funnel cake are a few of the opportunities enjoyed at this event. It provides the consumers an opportunity to meet the Osprey Baseball team and enjoy a night watching the game. Many volunteers participate to make the lives of the adults fun and exciting. And finally Home Plate: Through all this work it has been a team effort made possible by the Rick Wilkins Foundation for Adults with Disabilities to score in life. It was once said by an unknown author that baseball is the only place in life where a sacrifice is really appreciated. On behalf of UNF’s, College of Education and Human Services, we appreciate the sacrifice the Rick Wilkins Foundation has made for others, so that they too can enjoy the winning side of life. |