For the past 25 years, MiniLaps has been one of the largest fundraisers at The Little Light House annually. Families of the LLH students will raise money for their child’s year at school. This year, MiniLaps will be held September 25th, 2010 at The Little Light House. Please help our children by making a donation and help them meet their goal! Please click here to see The Little Light House Student Directory to help others meet their goals!
Griffin Hendricks
Welcome to Griffin Hendricks' little Light house mini Laps for Little Ones page!
Griffin was born in June ’05. It was a rocky start with an emergency c-sxn due to placental abruption and breathing concerns. After careful monitoring, he was given the all clear. Griffin was such a happy baby with a laugh that just melted your heart (and still does). However, as early as 7 months, we noticed things were just not quite right.
He started talking at 7 months, then quit. Was a great eater but at 14 months became "very" selective in his foods. Started getting multiple ear infections, URIs, etc. At 20 months, when Griffin wasn’t acting out or laying on the floor for hours with his blankie/sippie cup, he was eating all manner of things he shouldn’t. Thus started the saga of testings and doctor visits. He was accepted into the SoonerStart program without question as he tested well below normal for his age in all categories save gross motor - he is a great climber, could be a trapeze artist. To this day, I can still remember the first question our SoonerStart coordinator asked – what toys did Griffin like to play with. He didn’t. I didn’t have an answer. Griffin was "officially" diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in August of '07.
We are very excited that Griffin is going to be attending the Little Light House for a second year this coming August. The Little Light House is a Christian Developmental Center providing highly specialized educational and therapeutic services in a Christ-centered environment to children with special needs (Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Blindness, Autism, etc.). Griffin has come a long way since the beginning of his journey but it is far from being over and he couldn't be in better hands with his teacher and awesome therapists (speech, PT, OT, etc.)! He has really blossomed this past year in terms of cognitive abilities and social cues.
Griffin is communicating much more by gesture, speech, and eye contact. He can recite his A,B,C’s and count to 23! Griffin no longer throws his utensils when eating and even uses a spoon (and fork to a certain extent) appropriately without prompting. He is also more comfortable in social settings and has even played age-appropriately with Beth and Jamison, his siblings, at times. Our milestones to accomplish this year would be to better understand/cope with transitions, continue working on social settings, really focus on potty training, and continue encouraging brushing teeth.
Mini-laps is The Little Light House’s biggest fund raiser of the year. It is a time when the school celebrates the milestones that each child has met during their time at the Little Light House. Each child takes one lap around the Little Light House track dressed to fit the theme of the year. Some children go around the track using walkers, wheelchairs, or wagons that have been transformed into floats, and some children walk or run on their own two feet. Families of the LLH students find corporations and individuals to sponsor their child to help raise money for their year at school.
The Little Light House needs our help more than ever especially in our current economic climate as this year we will be missing a much needed matching donor contribution. It costs roughly $17,000 per year per child of which we are just asked to put in roughly 40 hours of volunteer work and bring monthly supplies of needed items such as gloves, towels, trash bags, etc.
We would love to have you come out and cheer Griffin on as he makes his way around the track during Mini-Laps on Saturday, September 25. This year’s theme is “Down on the Farmâ€. If you would like to donate towards this awesome event, please visit the Little Lighthouse website where you can donate online. Please mention Griffin’s name (Griffin Hendricks) when donating as that’s how the school keeps track of which child is being sponsored. Our goal is $5,000.00. FYI - Many employers have programs set up for matching donations. If you are not able to donate monetarily, there are all sorts of ways you could help - anywhere from administrative, classroom, electrical, repair, plumbing, IT, cleaning, cooking, maintenance, errand running, etc. Great way for teenagers to meet their community service hours!
http://littlelighthouse.donordepot.com/civicrm/contribute/pcp/info?reset=1&id=70 Thank you so much for your support!!!!!!!!!
Ginger and Todd Hendricks
Please pass Griffin’s page on to your family, friends and co-workers.
He started talking at 7 months, then quit. Was a great eater but at 14 months became "very" selective in his foods. Started getting multiple ear infections, URIs, etc. At 20 months, when Griffin wasn’t acting out or laying on the floor for hours with his blankie/sippie cup, he was eating all manner of things he shouldn’t. Thus started the saga of testings and doctor visits. He was accepted into the SoonerStart program without question as he tested well below normal for his age in all categories save gross motor - he is a great climber, could be a trapeze artist. To this day, I can still remember the first question our SoonerStart coordinator asked – what toys did Griffin like to play with. He didn’t. I didn’t have an answer. Griffin was "officially" diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in August of '07.
We are very excited that Griffin is going to be attending the Little Light House for a second year this coming August. The Little Light House is a Christian Developmental Center providing highly specialized educational and therapeutic services in a Christ-centered environment to children with special needs (Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Blindness, Autism, etc.). Griffin has come a long way since the beginning of his journey but it is far from being over and he couldn't be in better hands with his teacher and awesome therapists (speech, PT, OT, etc.)! He has really blossomed this past year in terms of cognitive abilities and social cues.
Griffin is communicating much more by gesture, speech, and eye contact. He can recite his A,B,C’s and count to 23! Griffin no longer throws his utensils when eating and even uses a spoon (and fork to a certain extent) appropriately without prompting. He is also more comfortable in social settings and has even played age-appropriately with Beth and Jamison, his siblings, at times. Our milestones to accomplish this year would be to better understand/cope with transitions, continue working on social settings, really focus on potty training, and continue encouraging brushing teeth.
Mini-laps is The Little Light House’s biggest fund raiser of the year. It is a time when the school celebrates the milestones that each child has met during their time at the Little Light House. Each child takes one lap around the Little Light House track dressed to fit the theme of the year. Some children go around the track using walkers, wheelchairs, or wagons that have been transformed into floats, and some children walk or run on their own two feet. Families of the LLH students find corporations and individuals to sponsor their child to help raise money for their year at school.
The Little Light House needs our help more than ever especially in our current economic climate as this year we will be missing a much needed matching donor contribution. It costs roughly $17,000 per year per child of which we are just asked to put in roughly 40 hours of volunteer work and bring monthly supplies of needed items such as gloves, towels, trash bags, etc.
We would love to have you come out and cheer Griffin on as he makes his way around the track during Mini-Laps on Saturday, September 25. This year’s theme is “Down on the Farmâ€. If you would like to donate towards this awesome event, please visit the Little Lighthouse website where you can donate online. Please mention Griffin’s name (Griffin Hendricks) when donating as that’s how the school keeps track of which child is being sponsored. Our goal is $5,000.00. FYI - Many employers have programs set up for matching donations. If you are not able to donate monetarily, there are all sorts of ways you could help - anywhere from administrative, classroom, electrical, repair, plumbing, IT, cleaning, cooking, maintenance, errand running, etc. Great way for teenagers to meet their community service hours!
http://littlelighthouse.donordepot.com/civicrm/contribute/pcp/info?reset=1&id=70 Thank you so much for your support!!!!!!!!!
Ginger and Todd Hendricks
Please pass Griffin’s page on to your family, friends and co-workers.