Thats right, people-- its Trolley Run time again! If you weren't around last year, the Trolley Run is an annual 4 mile run (or walk) where the proceeds go to benefit Children's Center for the Visually Impaired, where Olivia goes to preschool.
Olivia does not have glasses, but has a diagnosis of CVI (cortical vision impairment). CVI is a result of her seizure disorder where the information from the part of the brain that works for the eyes sends signals to the eyes but those signals sometimes get lost or confused. CCVI has been working with Olivia for 2 years now. The first year we had a vision teacher come to the house weekly. Olivia would not look at much of anything except light from a window or a light-up toy. She was behind in learning because she could not take in information from most of her surroundings. Our wonderful teacher showed us how to evaluate Olivia's sight and how to challenge her brain by giving her different things to look at in different parts of her vision. Olivia still struggles with how her brain relays information to her eyes, but Brian and I have so much support and education to work with her at home and Olivia is blossoming from all of the help at preschool. This fall Olivia was old enough to start CCVI's preschool program and we have been totally amazed at how the socialization from the classroom has caused her to grow and mature. There are both children with special needs as well as peer learners (kids who don't have special needs) in Olivia's class. The mix of education, interaction with other kids and one to one therapy has made CCVI is a huge part of Livi's success this year and we want to say "thank you" by enlisting your help.
The Trolley Run is CCVI's largest fundraiser. If you don't live in Kansas City, its a really big deal. Often people in the area have heard of the Trolley Run, but don't know what it benefits. CCVI uses the proceeds of the Trolley Run to help with tuition for families who don't have aid from the state or the school system. They also use the proceeds to buy supplies for the school year, update their facilities, take the kids on field trips, and tons of other essential stuff.
Here's the fun part. You can just give money...OR you could sign up with run/walk with us on April 29 by joining Livi's Keys to Success (our team) and hang with us that Sunday morning. Obviously, we realize not everyone can be here. Here is the link to our team page: Livi's Keys to Success
On the right there are places to both donate and register as a team member. This year our goal is to raise $2,000 as a team, but we'll need your help. Please help us say "thank you" to CCVI and all of the absolutely wonderful people there who love Olivia and so many other kids.
See? Doesn't it look like fun?
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