Busy April Showers for TAD

Posted in: TAD Announcements by TAD Administration on April 28, 2008 | 0 Comments

Press release from Texas Association of the Deaf, April 26, 2008

Busy April Showers for TAD

Texas Association of the Deaf had a very busy and happy month of April as a major sponsor for local and national events. To begin with, TAD was one of the three organizations along with Texas School for the Deaf and National Association of the Deaf, the NAD National Leadership Training Conference took place in Austin from April 3 to 5, 2008. 100 actual participants benefited from panel discussions, breakout sessions and keynoted speeches. Some NLTC photos may be seen on TAD website under the gallery subpage. TAD members Betty Bounds, Stella Egbert. Gertie Galloway and Steve Baldwin were among the speakers. There were about 20 TAD members who volunteered their respective time and services during the successful conference.

At the end of the conference, Sorenson donated $3000 to TAD to help support the significant leadership training and the community reception. (See attached photo of TAD board members Steve Baldwin and Gertie Galloway on stage with Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD president, and Nancy Bloch, NAD executive director, during the actual $3000 donation of the Sorenson check.)

During the same weekend the lst Berg/Seeger Track and Field Conference took place on the TSD campus. Fourteen deaf school programs and 200 athletes took part of the national event, which was won overall by TSD schoolboy/schoolgirl tracksters. TAD gave United States Deaf Sports Federation Track and Field director Tom Withrow $400 for all 14 individual and team awards. Ruth Seeger is a life-long member of TAD and Tom Berg is a former member who moved with his wife Betty moved to the Austin area recently. (See enclosed photo of President Baldwin with legendary coaches Berg and Seeger. Baldwin and board member Larry Evans are former IDG/WGD members.)

The third April event is called the Ranger Triathlon fundraiser on April 27 in Austin. TAD member Nick Bannon is the coordinator and a successful ironman himself. TAD donated $300 to the event for county-wide healthy family affair. TAD membership forms were placed in 250 packet bags for publicity purpose.

Indeed, one of the goals of TAD is to foster educational and leadership quality in Texas. Incidentally, the partnership between TSD and TAD is based on the statewide responsibilities both uphold as educational leaders. Log on www.deaftexas.org and read about other goals and accomplishments for the betterment of the Texas deaf community. And do not forget to mark your calendar for June 11 to 13, 2009 for the 45th biennial conference at Holiday Inn’s El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio! Miss Deaf Texas Pageant will be a glorious part of the conference in an adjacent ballroom. Come dance with the Deaf stars of Texas!

TAD was established in 1886 and serves as a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of deaf and hard of hearing Texans. Membership is only $15 a year and $10 for seniors. As one of the several benefits, The Deaf Texan newsletter is mailed or e-mailed four times a year to members. Because of TAD, we enjoy relay and video services, ASL classes, legal rights and other benefits, which were made possible by past endeavors of dedicated TAD officers during the last 30 years. There are nearly 425 people who are members of TAD along with about 300 website e-newsletter subscribers. 725 TAD people care for the future of TAD. Do you?

TAD is affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf, the watchdog for the civil rights of the deaf since 1880. For further information on the significance of your state association, go to www.deaftexas.org .

(Left to right: Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD president, Gertie Galloway, TAD board director and Sorenson representative, Steve Baldwin, TAD president, and Nancy Bloch, NAD executive director, on stage at TSD cafeteria before 140 National Leadership Training Conference registered members on April 5, 2008.)

(Ruth Seeger, Steve Baldwin and Tom Berg met at the Hyatt Hotel in Austin where more than 45 former Deaf Olympians gathered to honor the legendary track and field coaches. 1st Berg/Seeger Track and Field Classic was won by TSD! Good investment for TAD as the sole sponsor of all the individual and team awards on April 5, 2008. Thanks to TAD membership!)