And the winner is...

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....Cori's Team!

 

Congratulations to Cori's Team, the big winners of YAI's first-ever "Design Your Own T-Shirt Contest"!

 

Cori's Team will receive 10 passes to a special YAI Network event at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park. They will also have their story featured right here on our Central Park Challenge blog. Stay tuned to read about Cori, his supportive teammates and their inspiration behind the winning design!

Thanks to all who participated in our contest!
 
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Celebrate Good Times....COME ON!!

Whew - we did it!!  The 2011 YAI and Broadview Networks Central Park Challenge was a HUGE success! And we couldn't have done it without you!

We were overjoyed to welcome you, your friends, family members, and more than 12,000 other terrific participants into the park this past Saturday to enjoy a 3K Walk, 5K Run, children's play area, games, food, entertainment and more! Together, we raised awareness and critical funds for children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

Special thanks to our celeb participants, including YAI Network spokesperson Sherri Shepherd, ABC News Anchor Bill Ritter, Grizz Chapman (30 Rock), Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos), Q104.3 DJ Maria Milito, Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years), and Miss Southern New York Kaitlin Monte.

But the real star of the show was Xi’Xi, the 3-year-old little girl whose shining eyes and ear-to-ear grin delighted the crowd. Joined by her parents, Cindy and Pat, Xi’Xi helped pump up the energy at the start of the 3K Walk by waving to participants. She also enjoyed some dancing on stage with Sherri Shepherd to the music of Dr. K's Motown Revue.

“Even though I have read about Xi’Xi’s progress and her family’s journey on http://www.yai.org/, seeing the bond between all three of them elevated the vibe on the stage,” said Lauren Morris, a participant in the 5K Run. “It wasn't just love that I was seeing between Xi'Xi and her parents, but it was pride. As a mother, that's a very powerful thing to witness."

Thanks to the supportive partnerships that the YAI Network has forged with staff, consumers, families, friends, board members, corporate sponsors and YOU (!), we are quickly closing in on our record-breaking goal of $1.6 million. 

WOW!

Help us make this our biggest, best and most successful Central Park Challenge EVER!! Donations can be made through June 30, 2011.  So keep on fundraising and spreading the word and help us cross the finish line!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Check out some pics from the big day!

TOMORROW!!!

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We're giddy.  Ecstatic.  Clicking-our-heels, writing-this-whole-post-in-BOLD kind of happy.  Do you even need to ask why?


The Central Park Challenge is... TOMORROW!!!

We like 364 days of the year, but we LOVE 1. And that day has finally arrived!


Thank you so much to all of our friends who have registered, fundraised and helped spread the word.  Together, we are making a huge difference in the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities.


Check out all of the important event details and we'll see YOU (!) in the park TOMORROW!


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Look Who's Walking!

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Need a little inspiration? Well, we're giving you a LOT. 

We are just so inspired and proud to share this next story with you!

All year long you’ve followed the story of Xi’Xi, a YAI Network preschooler and the shining face of YAI and Broadview Networks Central Park Challenge. You’ve watched her blossom from a little girl who had difficulty maintaining her balance and only spoke a few words into an eager child who began to speak full sentences, tackle stairs and walk with the assistance of a walker.

And now, Xi’Xi is - quite literally! - taking new strides.

Today, Xi’Xi is walking!

"It was an incredible joy and an immense relief to see Xi'Xi walk unassisted," said Cindy, Xi'Xi's mom. "I was completely overjoyed. I cried."

To honor their daughter, Cindy and husband Pat formed a Central Park Challenge 3K Walk Team and, quite fittingly, have named the team “Xi’Xi Walks the Walk.” This team name represents all of Xi’Xi’s progress over the past year and serves as an inspiration for all of the steps that Xi’Xi will take as she continues to grow and reach her full potential. Show your support for Xi'Xi by making a donation to her team!

"We can all learn from Xi'Xi," added Cindy. "Pat and I chose to name the team "Xi'Xi Walks the Walk" because Xi'Xi is a determined human being who decides what she is going to do... and then she does it! Pat, Xi'Xi and I are thrilled to walk the walk the same way that we live our lives... together!"

Walk the walk with Xi’Xi, her family, YAI Network spokesperson Sherri Shepherd and more than 12,000 others on Saturday, June 4 in Central Park. There is still time to register!

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23 Hours Left to Register for the 5K Run!

Attention runners! If you are planning to participate in the 5K race at the Central Park Challenge, don't wait another minute to register online. Pre-registration closes at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 5! If you don't make the deadline, don't despair: You can still register at Central Park on Saturday. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the race will begin promptly at 9.

Happy running!

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