Over the last few months, our Guests and Residents have been working hard to bring you a couple of WOW! Magic concerts. Working with the Real School of Music‘s Reach 4 Real adaptive music program, our Guests and Residents have written unique songs and practiced them along with other originals by the Reach 4 Real program instructors.
Our Residents recently performed theirs at the WOW! Magic Reach 4 Real Concert on July 12. With over 60 people in attendance at the concert, nerves were high. But our Residents came together to help each other break through the pre-show jitters and deliver an amazing performance.
“They were all strangers when this began,” said ATI program manager Tammy Wilson, “but they became friends part way through it, and then became family by the end of the program. They really trusted each other and they helped each other push through the nerves.
“It’s a hard thing to open up and sing in front of people. It’s difficult to put yourself out there like that,” she added. “But I was happy to see they were able to do it. I was so proud of them, really bursting with pride about what a great job they did.”
Accompanied by Reach 4 Real instructors Terry O’Malley and Olivia Stiling, our Residents Damien, George, Lois, David, Erika, Jacob, and Anastasha took to the microphones and belted out the first song, Beautiful Music. The performance was amazing, but it was the second and final song that really stole the audience’s heart.
Our Residents proudly performed Music Makes Me, with lyrics written by each of them regarding how music makes them feel. The energy was high as each Resident sang his or her solo.
“Everybody was so thrilled and so proud of their family members,” said Wilson of the doting parents, aunts, uncles, siblings in attendance.
The performance wrapped up with a dance party, cake, flowers, and celebration for a great show! Thank you to all who came out and supported our Residents! And thank you to our wonderful Reach 4 Real instructors!
Check out a few pictures from the performance below.
Read a little more about the music program here.
What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July, our nation’s Independence Day, than by spending the day indulging in a competitive but friendly game of America’s favorite Pastime, baseball.
Our baseball tournament kicked off Friday morning with game one, between the Avengers and the Star Kings. After a tight game, the Kings walked away victorious. Game two saw the Boston Wowzers facing off against Team Bring It. A tied game lead to coin flip to see who would go on to finals. Team Bring It won with heads and moved on.
The final game began in the afternoon, as the all-stars of the Star Kings and Team Bring It lined up. After a couple innings and a few hits over the Green Monstah, we had a winner…Team Bring It!
Check out a few more pictures from our day below.
Our Lowell site had an awesome Fourth of July cookout and celebrated in WOW! Magic style with burgers and dogs on the grill, pasta and potato salads galore, along with fresh fruit and sweet treats. Meadowland Homemade Ice Cream in Tewksbury donated 2 large containers of their deliciously creamy vanilla and chocolate ice cream! Although the food was a big hit, the fun and games outshone it all. Music and laughter filled the air along while water balloons kept everyone nice and cool as we enjoyed the beautiful weather. Stars and Stripes bean bag toss, soccer and many more games were enjoyed by our Guests and Colleagues.
Check out a few pictures of the fun below. And have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
Thank you!
To all who joined us for our August Painting Creations! Your support of our Creative Process means so much to our youth Residents, and all of us!
The evening’s attendees enjoyed quite the spread of hors d’oeuvres, pizza pies, assorted beverages, and wine. Wonderful music filled the air as they painted each layer of the featured painting’s beautiful beach scene. As each attendee created her own masterpiece, laughter and joy filled the room. And at the end of the night, each attendee walked out with a full belly, new friends, and a beautiful painting, each with its own unique touches!
Check out a few pictures from the evening below. Then be sure to check out our next Paint Night, with the same painting here. And all future Creative Process fundraisers here.
Thank you to all who joined us for our June Painting Creations Paint Night Fundraiser. We appreciate your support of the Creative Process, an arts program that serves as a creative outlet for the Residents of our youth residential programs, providing them with the opportunity to grow, understand, and express themselves through art.
Attendees were treated to a delicious smorgasbord of sandwiches, snacks, and the now famous Painter’s Punch (yum!), as well as complimentary red and white wine from our friends at Simply Elegant Catering, as our Colleague and painting instructor Maxine guided the class, step-by-step, through the beautiful moonlight on the marsh painting below.
Check out a few photos from the night below. To find information on our future Painting Creations Paint Night Fundraisers, visit our events page here.
The summer’s most anticipated event, Tie Dye Day & Carnivale, was Extraordinary and Outrageously Memorable, filled to the brim with WOW! Magic! We partied like never before at the 16th Annual Tie Dye Day & Carnivale on June 17th.
The day featured delicious food catered by Simply Elegant Catering, beautiful sunshine, lots of fun, great music by DJ Greg of NRG Entertainment, live entertainment by members of the Boston Hoop Troop, Mister Softy’s ice cream truck, and tie dying galore of t-shirts from Ellco Promotions! We had games, prizes, dancing, a dunk tank, and rides from Paul Rents!
In past years, we’ve had nationally renowned speed painter Rob Surette perform or Pat Patriot from our New England Patriots, Wally from our Boston Red Sox, and Canalligator from our Lowell Spinners! We’ve even had our friends from National Fiber Technology stop by with costumed characters! And this year, it was the live entertainment by the Boston Hoop Troop, the awesome inflatable games, and rides like our train that stole the show!
We also handed out some freebies that were donated to the event: water bottles donated by Harvard Pilgrim and Snoopy and Woodstock plush characters donated by MetLife.
The day was an absolute blast! We were even joined by Partners and nearby neighbors who wanted in on the fun. Thank you to all who stopped by to share the day with us!
And thank you to our volunteers, including Lois and David Elliot, and amazing event contributors including Cynthia & Joseph Madden, MetLife, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boris Keppler and Labor Logic, Harpers Payroll Services, and Vantage Builders.
Check out photos from the WOW! Magic-filled event below.
We celebrated over 135 amazing Students, graduates from the past year, at our first annual LARE Institute Graduation Celebration, held June 16 at LARE Institute in Andover. We were so delighted to share the evening with their friends and family, who shared in our pride. The evening was a proud moment for us, their loved ones, and them!
The Graduation was covered in the June 17 issue of the Eagle Tribune. You can view the article by Paul Tennant and photos from the evening, by Ryan Hutton, here. Dalia Diaz of Rumbo News also wrote a column on the graduation in the June 22 issue of Rumbo News. You can view it here, the third piece down. A story on the Graduation was also featured in the July 1 issue of Rumbo News and you can read it here. It was also featured in the July issue of the Valley Patriot which you can view here.
Just before the graduation began, the LARE team surprised their graduates with a flyover plane carrying the message, “Congrats 2016 LARE Grads! #WOWMagic!” The excitement led into the Pomp and Circumstance march in, and soon the Graduation Celebration began.
Four Students spoke at the graduation. Marva Gooding, of the MS Office Program, spoke of the importance of encouragement and faith when taking that next step in life. Tanysha Hughes, of the Medical Assisting Program, spoke on the significance of family in your quest to achieve your goals. “Don’t let your kids be an excuse as to why you can’t finish, but let them be your motivation and inspiration as to why you will succeed and accomplish your goals,” she told her fellow grads.
Michael Gary, of the Pharmacy Technician Program, also addressed the crowd, sharing an encouraging message that we are never too old to learn something new. He, at the age of 52, went back to school and changed careers entirely.
The final speaker was Denise Moses, whose story is told below. She spoke to the audience about overcoming obstacles and working hard to make dreams come true. In addition to their advice, each speaker told his or her own inspiring story.
President and CEO Tom Connors then spoke to the students, telling them that what they’ve accomplished at LARE is just the start. “I hope you can become a person your friends, family, and the world never forgets.”
More than 135 Students then marched across the stage before switching their tassels in unison, marking their end as LARE Students and start as LARE alums. Congratulations Graduates!
Check out photos of the graduation, the flyover, Students celebrating with their families and more below. And visit our album here to see even more photos from the event.
Check out this story on one of our fabulous graduates, Denise Moses, as published in the June issue of the Valley Patriot.
Denise, appropriately dressed in Wonder Woman scrubs, poses with HiSET Instructor Jim Sullivan as she awards him a “World’s Greatest Teacher” plaque after finishing her HiSET exam with a perfect score.
Each spring, just ahead of Memorial Day, our Guests join our Colleague Joe Robichaud in replacing the flags at cemeteries throughout Methuen. They dedicate the day to our Veterans by getting out there and replacing the weathered flags that stood proud throughout the past year, with bright new American Flags, ready to wave with honor.
Our Colleague Joe, a Veteran himself, arranged this special annual trip more than 10 years ago and he’s brought a group of Guests every year since, working with Thomas Hargeaves, Director of Veterans Services for the city. His hope is that our Guests who join him enjoy the experience of giving back to those who gave all for their country.
Our Guests and Colleagues who take part each year are proud to know that when the families of these Veterans go to visit their loved ones on Memorial Day, they’ll see brand new flags, showing that though their loved ones are gone, the sacrifices they made are never forgotten.
Check out a few photos from this year’s trip below:
This American Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid, CPR and AED Course will be held Monday, June 27, 2016, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover.
One in every four Americans say they’ve been in a situation where someone needed CPR. If you were one of them, would you know what to do? Studies have shown that being trained in CPR can make the lifesaving difference when someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest.
Course Description
During this one-day course, you will be trained in American Red Cross First Aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator). This training meets the needs of workplace responders, school staff, professional responders, healthcare providers, as well as the general public. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be issued a digital certificate, good for two years.
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Respond to common first aid emergencies including burns, cuts, head, neck and back injuries, and more.
• Respond to cardiac and breathing emergencies.
• Know how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Meet Our Trainer
Donny Wise is a training specialist and Certified Health Care Instructor with more than 10 years experience in providing training to diverse individuals. He has dedicated 15 years to caring for adults with disabilities in residential and day program settings.
Costs
This course is $110 per person. The price includes training and all course materials.
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Tuition must be paid prior to the day of the course.
Space is limited!
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
This MAP Training will be held Monday – Thursday, June 13 – 16, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover. All attendees must arrive by 8:45 a.m. on the first day, June 13.
Course Description
Completion of this 4-day course meets the 16-hour requirement to prepare and qualify you to take the MAP test. At the end of this session, you will be able to:
• Safely administer medications as regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Learn the technique of medication administration and management
• Properly document, record, and store medication, including countable medication
• Accurately transcribe doctor’s orders
Meet Our Trainers
Maxine Pierce is a registered nurse, with over 30 years of experience, providing quality care to diverse individuals. She has dedicated her career to medical/surgical and geriatric patients, as well as intellectually disabled populations. She is an experienced MAP instructor and MAP monitor and has conducted specialized trainings and competencies under the MAP program, which certifies individuals to safety administer medications and is recognized in the DDS and DCF/DMH systems.
Karen Grundy is a registered nurse who has been in the health care field for 24 years, specializing in a variety of settings including Family Practice, Internal Medicine, and Ophthalmology before joining American Training. Karen has experience in facilitating orientation and competencies of other health care professionals, and she recently expanded her credentials to include MAP Trainer. She looks forward to conducting MAP classes.
Costs
Course fee is $250 per person. Includes four-day training, lunch on day two, and all course materials. Course fee must be paid prior to beginning the course, and you must present a current photo ID. Please note that D&S Diversified Technologies may require you to pay additional testing fees if you are not covered by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) or Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-685-2151, ext. 6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made 10+ days prior to the course will receive a FULL REFUND. Cancellations made 5-9 days prior to course will receive a 50% REFUND. Cancellations within 4 business days or for absentees will receive NO REFUND.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-685-2151, ext. 6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Tuition must be paid prior to beginning the course and you must present a current photo ID.
Space is limited!
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
We wore our silly outfits, out-of-this-world accessories, costumes, and squishy red noses, all in the name of Red Nose Day 2016!
In the interest of raising awareness of child poverty, here in America and around the world, we once again participated in Red Nose Day, whose mission it is to lift children out of poverty, or as they put it “Laugh. Give. Save a kid.” With our mission of Bringing Out the Best in Everyone We Touch Because Every Life Matters, we’re more than happy to be a part of this awareness and fun-raising day.
So, we added a little WOW! Magic to the mix and held a party at our Campanelli location! Throughout the day, we had games, caricatures, and all kinds of fun on our lawn. We even raised money, more than $570, for the cause with our bake sale and pie-in-the-face event. For just $1 per whipped cream pie, anyone could pie our Colleague Adam in the face. Adam is well loved around here, but he still had a long line of people willing to pay to pie him!
But the big event of the day was our No Talent Show, a lip-syncing concert like no other you’ve ever seen! Our Colleagues and interns were superstars! We had performers like No Direction and Out of Sync. And performances of greats like Dancing Queen, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Lean On Me, Cake By the Ocean and more! And our host Adam “Seacrest” was fabulous, keeping us all enthralled with the wonderful show!
Learn a little more about Red Nose Day and how you can contribute here.
Check out pictures from last year’s event here. And check out more American Training events here.