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United Cerebral Palsy of the Golden Gate Hosted 5th Annual Ultimate Holiday Toy Party
United Cerebral Palsy of the Golden Gate (UCPGG) hosted children with disabilities and their families at its 5th Annual Ultimate Holiday Toy Party on Sunday, December 9, 2007 The party took place at the Oakland Marriott Hotel where over 400 people were in attendance.
The free event, from 2-4 p.m., was open to children who reside in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa or Marin County and who applied to the Ultimate Holiday Gift Program. They were 12 years of age or under and affiliated with a Regional Center, California Children’s Services (CCS), or receive therapy through their school districts. This year, all children who applied received gift certificates for specially-designed, adaptive toys from Beyond Play or Abilitations. UCPGG was proud to be able to give out 339 gift certificates each worth $100.
At the Ultimate Holiday Toy Party, children were invited to try out adaptive technology/ communication devices from Dynavox. They got to visit with Santa Claus and receive a gift from him. Miss Oakland joined the celebration and assisted Santa in giving out the gifts to the children. Refreshments and arts and crafts were available for all to enjoy.
“When our organization decided to raise money to provide toys for children with special needs, we were struck by two things, the limited availability of appropriate toys in the mass market and their great expense,” says UCPGG Board President Barry Gardin. “We discovered that conventional toys for children with mobility difficulties were often designed for very young children and were not age appropriate. In addition, we found that adaptive toys which are appropriate often cost many times the price of standard toys. For instance, an adaptive tricycle, which is both fun and therapeutic for a child, can cost in excess of $1,000.
“Since the Ultimate Holiday Gift Program was initiated in 2003, more than 900 children have benefited from the program,” Gardin continues. “UCPGG has received support from many individuals.
Persons seeking information about this year’s (2008) event or wishing to be involved in the future may contact Karen Glatze, UCPGG Administrative Director at (510) 832-0431.
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