Just wanted to let all of you know that Rachel will be performing during the Willamette Valley Down Syndrome Association (WVDSA) Buddy Walk from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 27th at the amphitheater located in Riverfront Park in Salem. Rachel will also be performing during a fund-raising concert to benefit the WVDSA. The concert will be held on Friday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m. at the Morningstar Community Church located at 4775 27th Ave SE.

Rachel and I will be there to meet you following each event. I also wanted to share a story of one little girl who learned sign language as a means to communicate, and is very excited to show off her signs for Rachel at the event.

Keep reading for more….

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Rachel and I just got back from Oklahoma City where we had the opportunity to participate in the 13th annual Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma Buddy Walk.

Rachel, Rebecca and Addison Klehm with Jennifer Pierce at the Channel 9 studio

Rachel and I started out early in the morning with morning show host, Jennifer Pierce at CBS: Channel 9. Rachel was joined by Rebecca Klehm - who was part of the planning committee for the Buddy Walk - and Rebecca’s daughter Addison Klehm. You can watch the coverage on the CBS: Channel 9 website .

With the help of all those involved in the Buddy Walk, we were mentioned in a fantastic interview about the Buddy Walk and Rachel in the Oklahoman. Read Child with Down syndrome to meet one of her heroes by Chris Jones.

Here is a snippet of the article:

“When Mike and Rebecca Klehm learned that their second child would be born with Down syndrome and cleft issues, they decided they would bring her into the world and do everything possible to help Addie live life to the fullest.

The Klehms realized their daughter would struggle with communication, so they enrolled in baby sign language classes.

“Her first sign was more, and we were thrilled,” Rebecca Klehm said. “This was just like her first word to us, and we built on that with milk, drink, please. Now she says milk, and signs at the same time. It’s very rewarding for her and us. The news was overwhelming at first, but she is doing great, and she surprises us every day with what she is learning.”

Children sign 'blue' as part of the Signing Time song: Colors of the Rainbow

On Saturday, 4-year-old Addison will meet one of her heroes, Rachel Coleman, the star and creator of Signing Time!, a DVD series designed to teach children to communicate using American Sign Language.”

You can continue reading the article on the Oklahoman website.

It was fantastic to be a part of such a wonderful event. Rachel delivered an incredible performance. Children and families from all over Oklahoma participated in the event, and even helped Rachel out with some of her songs!

Thank you to everyone who made this event a success!

If you are interested in having Rachel participate in your event, please contact Lindsey Blau at lindsey@signingtime.com with the subject line “Rachel appearance” for more information. We are scheduling her calendar for 2009 and would love to hear from you.

Rachel Coleman will perform at the local Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma (DSACO) Buddy Walk on September 20, 2008 from 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, located at 2 South Mickey Mantel Drive in Oklahoma City.

I was able to speak to a couple people about their experience and excitement around Rachel’s visit and wanted to share with you two stories that touched me.
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Rachel will be in Virginia next week on August 12th-13th during the Partnership for People with Disabilities Conference: Pathways to Possibilities.

Read the Press Release

Fundraiser Concert

When: Tuesday, August 12th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Old Dominion University Theatre, located at 46th and Hampton Blvd. in Norfolk, Virginia
Details: Tickets will be available at the door for $10 each, with all proceeds going toward future training and support for those family members of Dreamcatchers.

Pathways to Possibilities Conference

When: August 13th at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Wyndham Ocean Front Hotel located at 57th Street in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Details: Rachel will be the keynote speaker.
Visit the Signing Time table and receive 5% off your purchase when you mention this email.

To purchase tickets for the concert, register for the conference or for more information please visit the Pathways to Possibilities website.

We just added a calendar of events located at the top of the blog. We have included events where Rachel will be, as well as where Signing Time representatives will be.

Be sure to click on the descriptions to see when and where the events will be. The information will also detail whether or not Rachel will be attending. We hope to see you at some of these events!