Winter 2014The mission of the SBA of AL is to promote the prevention of SpinaBifida and to enhance the lives of all affected.

Upcoming Events

SBA of AL and Children’s Hospital ofAlabama Annual Learning Conference

“Making the Most of Today and Preparingfor Tomorrow”

February 5th

8 am - 4:30 pm

Children’s Hospital, Bradley LectureCenter

2014annuallearningconference.kintera.org

Birmingham Bowl-a-thon

March 1st

11 am - 1 pm

Trussville Lightning Strikes

2014birminghambowlathon4sb.kintera.org

Huntsville Bowl-a-thon

April 26th

2 - 4 pm

Madison Bowling Center

2014huntsvillebowlathon4sb.kintera.org

SBA of ALwww.sbaofal.orgInfo@sbaofal.org

Angie Pate, Executive Director

256-617-1414

Angie.pate@sbaofal.org

`It’s the Most Wonderful Time...The Christmas season is wonderful for so many reasons,but one of the best for our staff and Board is that we get tocelebrate with our remarkable families. Our 3rd annualChristmas party was held at the gorgeous Vestavia Lodgeonce again this year, and we definitely packed the housewith families, food, music, and fun! This Board-hostedevent is one of our very favorites, and if you have ever hadthe chance to attend, you know exactly why.

This event would not be possible without our wonderfulvolunteers and Toys for Tots. We want to thank Toys forTots for their generous donation and for their amazingMarine representatives that attend each year. They not onlyattend, but they take special time to meet each of ourfamilies, pose for pictures, and help give out gifts. Theytell us it is one of their very favorite events, and it certainlywould not be the same without them. A big thanks alsogoes to Steve Manley for blessing us with the mostbeautiful Christmas music and to Angie Lansdon forphotographing all the special moments of the day. Thereis one more major star of the day we cannot forget tomention- SANTA! What would we do without ourunforgettable Santa Claus who drives up in his red car withhis SANTA license plate, jumps out with a smile on hisface, and enters the party hugging all of our kids? Then,he spends the afternoon listening to the special Christmasrequests and posing for countless pictures. He loves everysecond of the day, and it definitely shows! We can’t thankall of you enough for making this event a success!

Our 2013 Walk–n-Roll was a wonderful and “wild” day of fun at theMontgomery Zoo. Three hundred participants attended in support ofAlabama families affected by Spina Bifida. We always have a blasthanging out with our families who travel from all over the state for thisevent. From the moment of registration, the entire day is about makingour families feel like the amazingly special people they are, and alongwith our committee, volunteers, and sponsors, the SBA of AL staff andBoard strive every year to be sure to add even more special touches toreach this goal. This year included face painting, music and dancing, allday entrance to the zoo, a trophy for every child with Spina Bifida, andmany other surprises. We can’t wait to begin planning our October 4,2014 event!

We want to say a special thanks to all our wonderful volunteers: AlabamaPower employees, Party Palace characters, Montgomery CatholicPreparatory School Key Club, Suzanne Williams Photography, JamesBlakeney (our amazing DJ), and of course, our committee! We also wantto say a big THANK YOU to all our sponsors, because without you, wecouldn’t support our families!

2013 Walk-n-Roll SponsorsEvent Presented by

Baptist Health

Coloplast

Mobility Works

OB-GYN Associates ofMontgomery

Top fund-raiserKade McGaw

Top fund-raiserRuthie Blakeney

Congratulations to our top donating teams (from left to right): Cayden Fry,Cameron Pate, Hayley Nelson, and Faith Abernathy!

October 5th marked the 7th Annual Gadsden Bowl-a-thon. We are so thankful for the overwhelming support we receiveevery year from Gadsden and surrounding areas. Once again, this event beat the previous year’s fund-raising total andset a new record of almost $16,000 raised to support families in Alabama affected by Spina Bifida. This event alsoraises a tremendous amount of awareness of Spina Bifida and its prevention each year, with teams giving out “Whatis Spina Bifida” pamphlets all over their communities during personal and team fund-raising activities. With help fromteams such as the Southside High School SGA promoting awareness in their school each year, Gadsden is reachingthe younger generation with the message of the importance of folic acid consumption and its role in the prevention ofthis birth defect. The Gadsden Bowl-a-thon’s overall success grows every year, and the SBA of AL is so thankful foreverything this event does to promote our mission.

We couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteers. Thank you to the Altrusa International Inc., of Gadsden serviceorganization who have provided volunteers to work the event for the past six years. These ladies have truly helped tomake the event the wonderful success it has become. As an event presenting sponsor, they have also contributedthousands of dollars over the years to help our families. A big thanks also goes to Amy Brown, our event photographer,who did an outstanding job capturing all the special moments. Don’t miss our 2014 Gadsden Bowl-a-thon, scheduledOctober 25th!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Hanger Clinics - Southside Pharmacy - Gold’s Gym of Rainbow CitySupreme Beverage - Alabama Orthopedic Surgeons - Medxsys LLCThomas & Betts - United Steelworkers Union of America Local 12

Huron Valley Steel Corporation - Cintas - Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLCSGA of Southside High School - 4H of Etowah County - Pathways Jr. Beta

Todd Pate Construction

Advanced Education Scholarship

Don’t miss your opportunity to apply for theAdvanced Education Scholarship. Applications aredue by May 31, 2014. Up to four, $1000

scholarships will be awarded to deserving Alabamastudents affected by Spina Bifida. Applicants musthave a GPA of 2.0 or higher, submit an essay andprovide a copy of their grades for review. For moreinformation or to apply, visit sbaofal.org/programsand services, or contact Angie Pate at 256-617-1414.

SBA of AL Membership FormThere is no fee to join.

Your name: _________________________________Address: ____________________________________

City: _______________________________________County: _________________State:___ Zip:________

Phone: (Day) ______-_______-________(Evening) ______-_______-_________(Cell) ______-_______-_________

E-mail: ______________________________________

Name of person with Spina Bifida and date of birth:______________________________ ___/___/___

Person with SB is (circle) Male / Female

Please check all items that best describe you.___Parent of a child w/SB___Adult with SB___Family member with SB (not parent)___Friend/Supporter___Medical Professional___Other

I am: ___White___Black___Asian___Hispanic___Other

___I/We am/are willing to be included in the directory___I/We am/are willing to be contacted as a source of support to individuals/families affected by Spina Bifida.

Send a copy of this to:SBA of AL

P.O. Box 13254Birmingham, AL 35202

Donations are welcomed!

You can also join by visitingwww.sbaofal.org and clicking “Join now”

If you are not currently receiving our e-mail blasts, please send your updated e-mail address to Jamie Martin atjamie.martin557@gmail.com. If your contact information changes, please let us know so you won’t miss any SBAof AL news!

P .O. Box 13254Birmingham, AL 35202_____________________________________Phone: 256-617-1414E-mail: info@sbaofal.orgWebsite: www.sbaofal.org

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2014 Huntsville Bowl-a-thonSaturday, April 26th

2-4 pm (1:30 registration)

Madison Bowling Center

Contact Jamie Martin for more information (jamie.martin557@gmail.com, 256-233-3598). Register at www.2014huntsvillebowlathon4sb.kintera.org.