School Earns Matching Grant from The Sunshine Lady Foundation

Despite the Economy The Mariposa School Surpasses Fundraising Goal

Cary, N.C. (December 30, 2008) – The board of directors of the Mariposa School for Children with Autism is honored to announce the successful completion of its Take Flight Campaign which raised more than $107,000 to support a much needed expansion of student programs including early intervention programs that are so vital for youngsters challenged by autism.

In June, when The Sunshine Lady Foundation challenged The Mariposa School to raise $100,000 by December the school’s leaders were not sure they could reach that mark. After all, it would be the largest figure the school has raised in a single year, let alone in just a few short months. But The Sunshine Lady sweetened the offer, pledging to donate an additional $50,000 to sustain and expand the school’s programs serving children with autism and other disabilities if the school was successful.

“The goal represented a big stretch for us,” recalls Jacqueline Gottlieb, Mariposa’s Head of School, “a true challenge and a great opportunity at the same time. We had to give it our best effort. We are truly grateful to the many friends both new and old whose support helped us achieve this success.”

To see a video of the teachers & children saying "Thank YOU", click here.

The Best Christmas Gift: We Meet The Challenge!!!

Today we received the best holiday gift ever. We are officially over $100,000 and should receive an additional $5,000 from an anonymous donor for reaching our goal. We received a $1,500 grant this morning and a $9,000 grant around 11am!! We also received many contributions after Thanksgiving that helped us meet the goal.
Thanks to all of you who supported us and helped us get there!

A BIG THANK YOU FROM THE MARIPOSA SCHOOL Children, Teachers & Families.
And thank you to the Sunshine Lady Foundation for helping us.
Happy Holidays!

We're Getting Close to our Goal: Thanks!

Just a big shout out to all our blog visitors & readers. The school is getting close to its goal! Our Chili's night was complete success. Thanks to the many who turned out and offered their support. We also raised close to $5,000 from our gas raffle. With 20 days, left, we're firing on all cylinders to get to the $100,000 goal. Many friends of the school have come forward and sent in donations and made donations via the Internet. This is the best Christmas gift we could possibly hope for. Remember, your donations are tax deductible :)

Gifts can be sent to the Mariposa School, or made by using the Google Checkout link on the blog. Our volunteers have been wrapping gifts at Borders and doing other things in the community to help us reach the goal. Thank you one & all!

Dec. 4th: Chili's on Kildaire Farm Road Steps Up to Help Mariposa

We're having a special Mariposa School day at Chili's to help the school meet the challenge.

Chili’s restaurant on Kildaire Farm Road will give 10% of their sales to help the school on Dec. 4th from 11 am until 11 pm. When you go, just let the Chili's staff know you are from the Mariposa School. Parents, teachers and staff will be turning out throughout the day to help the school. For kids on special diets, Chili’s has a Gluten free menu .

If you're reading this, and you're looking for a place to have a great lunch or dinner on Dec. 4th, in Cary, NC, consider Chili's at 1388 Kildare Farm Road. Chili's offers cheap & cheerful dining with a great menu. And just by choosing Chili's you'll be helping the Mariposa School for Children with Autism. So take a break from the office, holiday shopping or cooking at home to have a meal at Chili's. If you're a fan of The Office TV show, you may remember that Michael (Steve Carrell) has held numerous events at Chili's. He has said on several shows that Chili's is the new office meeting place (more so than the golf course! ).

So head on out to Chili's for some Baby Back Ribs, Fajitas or other tasty delights. You'll be helping kids with every bite!

Check out NSync singing the wonders of Chili's.

Help us meet the Challenge. We need to raise $100,000 by December 31st and The Sunshine Lady Foundation will give the school an additional $50,000. The deadline has been extended until December 31, 2008!!! Choose Chili's on Dec. 4th.

Happy Thankgiving! The Fundraising Challenge Has Been Extended until 12/31

Oh Happy Day! Its the best Thanksgiving gift ever, Doris Buffett has extended our fundraising challenge until Dec. 31st. Hooray. This means the school has another 30 + days to meet the challenge. I knew that something was going to happen when Max Hall got involved and got out his fundraising thermometer. :) I mean, who can resist that boy ?

If you are looking for an end of year tax-deduction, consider giving a Tax-Deductible Contribution to help The Mariposa School for Children with Autism. Just use the Google checkout button here on the blog. There is still time to raise the 19k needed to meet the challenge & no donation is too small.

Also, please check out our new eBay Auctions page. We are auctioning two Yummi Glass Butterfly Pendants to help the kids. These pendants retail for close to $200.00. We are offering them for less on eBay to help the kids. They would make a great holiday gift. And everytime you wear it, you'd be helping children. Now, that's the best gift of all :)

Happy Thanksgiving from Max & all the children at Mariposa School.

One Week Left, 19K to Go, and We JUST Can't Be Maxed OUT!

With just 7 more days until Dec. 1, we feel like we just can't be Maxed out on our fundraising for Mariposa School! My adorable nephew, Max Hall, (pictured above) attends The Mariposa School for Children with Autism, where just about everything has been tried to raise money to meet a fundraising challenge. Doris Buffett, Warren Buffett's sister, and The Sunshine Lady Foundation issued a challenge to the school to raise $100,000 by December 1st and in return The Sunshine Lady Foundation would give the school an additional $50,000. The challenge was made in June 2008. By the end of July 2008, The Mariposa School held its first annual "Strike Out Autism Ballgame" with the Carolina Mudcats. In those few short months, the school has raised just over $81,000 - the most ever raised in a single year at the school!

Nevertheless, we are still short, and the deadline is fast approaching. For Max and the other students at the Mariposa School for Children with Autism, additional money means more programming opportunities not only for the students but for parents too. I visited the school today and my nephew came out of his classroom to give me a hug. Then I watched as he gave his mom a big hug & a kiss. Two years ago, I don't know if Max could've been so responsive to us in a social situation. Now his behavior is appropriate. He is able to greet his loved ones with affection. The Mariposa School has played a huge part in that.

If you are looking for an end of year tax deduction, and can find it in your heart to help these special kids this is a worthy charity. Please help Max's thermometer reach $100,000. Go to http://www.mariposaschool.org/ for more details or click here to give now.

To all of you who have helped us to date, a BIG THANK YOU. Your contributions are changing the lives of these kids. I see that change everytime I look in my little nephew's face and he makes eye contact with me. Thank you Mariposa School for your loving care & dedication to these kids.

MARIPOSA SCHOOL SEEKS SUPPORT--15 Days Left to Meet the Challenge

Cary, N.C. (November 14, 2008) -In August 2008, The Mariposa School for Children with Autism announced "Take Flight! The Campaign for The Mariposa School". The Cary school received an extremely exciting challenge grant from The Sunshine Lady Foundation. The Sunshine Lady Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Doris Buffett, the sister of billionaire Warren Buffett. Doris Buffett personally called Dr. Jacqueline Kilgus Gottlieb, Mariposa's Head of School, to communicate the challenge. The Sunshine Lady Foundation will donate $50,000 to the school if it can raise $100,000 by December 1, 2008. The funding will help support a much needed expansion of student programs including early intervention and social skills programs that are so vital for youngsters challenged by autism.
The Board of Directors, Staff, and Families have worked diligently to raise the money. In less than 4 months, The School has raised more than $70,000! One hundred percent of the Board and Staff have donated to the campaign. With just two weeks left in the challenge, the School is turning to the community for help. Gottlieb says the funding will help support a much needed expansion of programs and maintain the organization's stability in an unpredictable economy—ultimately continuing to provide high quality programming to children with autism. "We thank Ms. Buffett, her foundation and our local community for recognizing the value of this type of intensive instruction for children with autism."

To give online, click here.

If you and/or your organization are able to assist the school, please contact:
Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb, Head of School
The Mariposa School
203 Gregson Drive
Cary, NC 27511
919-461-0600
info@mariposaschool.org

All donors will receive a letter documenting the contribution to be used for tax purposes.

The Mariposa School was founded in 2000 by a parent of a child with autism. It is a private non-profit school where all students receive one-on-one instruction based on the principles of verbal behavior. The mission of the school is to provide intensive instruction in a supportive environment designed to improve communication skills and therefore quality of life for children with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. The Mariposa School is a regional leader in providing early intervention services and education to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. The school's goal is to build positive relationships among families, staff and the greater community to help each child achieve his/her maximum potential. For more information visit, http://www.mariposaschool.org/.

Related Links
http://www.mariposaschool.org/
http://www.youtube.com/AutismTakeFlight

Nov. 10th Fundraiser @ Monkey Joes in Cary, NC

Monkey Joes, Cary, NC is doing a fundraiser for The Mariposa School for Children with Autism. Thank you Monkey Joes!!

Date & Time: November 10th from 4PM - 7PM.

Costs: Adults are free -- children normal cost $8.50. The cost for the fundraiser is only $6.00 per child.

25% of funds raised will go to The Mariposa School. So please come out and support The Mariposa School on November 10th.

COUNTDOWN: 31 DAYS LEFT TO MEET THE CHALLENGE!!

The pages on the calendar are turning & December 1st is almost here. As some of you know, The Mariposa School was challenged by the Sunshine Lady Foundation to raise $100,000 by December 1st, 2008. In return the Foundation would donate an additional $50,000. So, how are we doing? Well the good news is we're more than half way there with $60,000 raised to date. This is an outstanding achievement! A big THANK YOU to all of you who have helped us.

Now the bad news, we still need to raise $40,000 to meet the challenge & receive the grant money. Quite simply, we need help. Something like this takes a village!! No donation is too small to help these precious kids. And remember, your donation is tax-deductible.

I talked to Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb, the head of the Mariposa school today to find out how the school was doing. Here is what she shared with me.

"Just the other day, I learned that a child may not be able to attend any more simply because there was not enough money to put gas in the car to transport him to and from school. Is the economy really that bad?

What is the true reality? For us here at Mariposa, the true reality is this. One in 150 children born each day is diagnosed with autism – that is one child every 20 minutes. To me as a parent, for every child with autism, it is a family that feels the impact. It is not only the same joy and heartache felt by every other parent, but it is much more than that. It is learning that there is not a cure, and not even an “official” cause for that matter. It is learning that programs are limited but the ones with the most supporting research cost more than an Ivy League tuition and that insurance rarely covers the expense. It is learning that the goal of providing the best for your child may be one that is beyond your reach.

The true reality is whether or not gas prices soar above $4.00 a gallon or the stock market hits a record low, those who are diagnosed with autism, need our help now."
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So please, if you can find it in your heart, help us meet the challenge before time runs out. No contribution is too small. Click here if you want to give to help this special school & these VERY special children. Both presidential candidates have talked about helping children with Autism, but that help seems like such a long way off. Please help us meet the challenge. Help those who face the challenges of autism now.

Visit our YouTube channel to learn more about these wonderful kids!

New Grant Students Start this Month!

Mariposa is excited to share some great news. This month, we started our 2nd round of grant students with 7 new students attending the school on scholarship. That is a total of 16 students enrolled through the state program now. They are all 48 months or younger.


Its wonderful that these kids are able to start getting special training & instruction so early in their lives. Early intervention is so important to these children and their families. The scholarship program is another way the school is helping children with autism take flight!

The Reviews are In: Maripolooza Rocked!

For those of you who attended Maripolooza, you know the event was a HUGE success. The fundraising estimate is currently at 6k!!! Please join me in thanking all the staff members who worked so hard to produce the event. Planning and executing an event like Maripolooza is a massive job. It takes many hours of detailed planning and a group of trusted individuals to see it through!. Special thanks go to the teachers! Mariposa's faculty produced a wonderful event. The event showed their unique dedication & love for the school. Well done!

Three BIG Events coming up!!!

This week we have some big events coming up in support of the school & the Take Flight Campaign. Put these on your calendar.

Oct, 11th, Saturday : Autism Society of NC is hosting the Ribbon Run. We have a team from Mariposa going. Look for the Mariposa School exhibit table there with information about the school. We'll also be selling raffle tickets.

This is an event you won't want to miss.

10/11/08 at Moore Square in Downtown Raleigh.

Oct. 12th, Sunday is Maripolooza - This is our first fundraising festival for the Mariposa School. Maripolooza is brought to you totally free of charge and is open to the public. Come and Get Your Groove On and make sure you bring the little ones too! Details: Sunday, October 12, 2008 12 noon – 6 pm

Koka Booth at Regency Park, Cary, NC.

Get all the details on the special Maripolooza website!'

Oct 13th, Monday is our special conference,
Using Behavior Analysis to Guide a Language Intervention Program for Children with Autism , click here to see the conference brochure.

Nationally recognized expert, Dr. Mark Sundberg, will be coming to Durham, NC to present. To date, 90 people are registered. It will be held at The Goodwill Center in Durham, NC. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Dr. Sundberg will be visiting the school to provide consultation.

Delta Pilots Foundation Helps Mariposa Take Flight!

Thanks to the Delta Pilots Charitable Foundation, the students at the Mariposa School for Children with Autism will not only be able to hear a parade, they will have the opportunity to create their own parade! The Foundation has awarded a $3,000 grant to The Mariposa School. This grant will enable Mariposa to build a music hut and purchase instruments to enhance educational opportunities for the students.


The Delta Pilots Charitable Fund is supported by individual contributions from members of the Air Line Pilots Association at Delta Air Lines. The Fund is the first charitable fund established, managed and funded entirely by the pilots of a major U.S. airline; it focuses on children’s charities in cities where Delta pilots live and work.

Countdown to Maripolooza! Oct. 12: The Festival to Help Mariposa School

What Is Maripolooza?
It’s a “FESTICAUSE!”
A Family-Friendly musical and entertainment extravaganza!
Maripolooza is a Great Local Cause!

Great Local Music and Entertainment!Great Food!Fund Raising and Friend Finding for students of The Mariposa School!
Maripolooza is brought to you totally free of charge and is open to the public.Come and Get Your Groove On and make sure you bring the little ones too!

Join us Sunday, October 12, 2008

12 noon – 6 pm

Koka Booth at Regency Park

Cary, NC
Check out the Maripolooza website to learn more details about the launch of what is sure to become a rock’n annual event.

A BIG SHOUT OUT OF THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

We hope you’ll consider choosing these wonderful businesses that have been so wonderful in giving back to the community through this event.

Coalmarch Productions

CenterLine

DNJ Mortgage

Wings for Kids with Autism

Creative Consultants

Dennis Duke, P.A.
Howerton Services LLC

Luxury Movers LTD

MEM Construction

Randenn, Inc.

The Young Group of Fuquay

We would also like to acknowledge the following businesses who are supporting the Wings for Kid’s with Autism Campaign by inviting donations from customers at their stores. We encourage you to visit each retailer and THANK them personally for their invaluable service to the Mariposa students.

OUR THANKS GO OUT TO :
Snip-Its of Apex
Tirza’s Market Center
Trendy Toes Children’s Shoes of Cary (Hosted a “Special Needs Day” on September 21 --THANK YOU!)
Monkey Joe’s
Raffle Items for Maripolooza
Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Mudcats

Jelly Beans of Cary

Rush Hour Carting

To see the complete list of sponsors and those who have made donations, click here.

News from Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb

Thanks to all of you who have been reading this blog & supporting our efforts!
We really enjoyed seeing some of you at the yard sale & appreciate the support.

My name is Jacqueline Gottlieb, and I am the Head of School at The Mariposa School for Children with Autism in Cary, North Carolina. I have been with Mariposa just over a year now. The setting is quite different from the corporate office environment I was in for over 10 years. It is even much different than the public schools I taught in just after college. The instruction is all one-on-one and the majority of the learning is through play.

A Success Story
Just the other day, I was walking through the hall. I heard a commotion around the corner. I stopped and peaked around the corner. You never know what might be coming down the hall as the children, and sometimes teachers, are flying by on scooters or racing on plasma cars. The hallway was clear, so I walked to the next corner. As I turned the corner, I saw a group of staff standing around a two year old child. All at once, the adults would start to stomp their feet on the ground and then the little boy would giggle. The adults stopped moving their feet and ever so quietly, the little boy would say, "go, go, go" and the adults would being to stomp their feet again. I know for most this wouldn't seem like a big deal, but to the staff here at Mariposa and for a child with autism - it is an awesome event. This child has been here since January 2008 and had never spoken a word until that day!!!! As we continue to reinforce his attempts to communicate, his functional communication will grow, opening up a whole new world of opportunities for him.

Its great to see these kids blossoming. I'll keep sharing the success stories here with you! With the right help, these kids can blossom and take flight.

Its this SATURDAY, 9/27: The Mariposa School - Yard Sale

ATTENTION Shoppers!
Listen up, this Saturday the Mariposa School is holding a FABULOUS, bargain filled... Yard Sale . This promises to be a Very Special SALE. All the benefits are to help these wonderful kids.
Saturday, Sep 27 7:00a to 12:00p
at The Mariposa School, Cary, NC

This is a multi-family yard sale to raise funds to support programs serving children with autism & other disabilities. Yes, this is the WAY TO SHOP!!

There will be everything from furniture to toys, to clothing items!!

C'mon out an support a good cause and pick up some great bargains. Get there early before its all gone :)
Price: Free
Phone: (919) 431-0600

The Mariposa School for Children with Autism Launches YouTube Channel

The Mariposa School for Children with Autism recently launched its YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/AutismTakeFlight. The channel is designed to feature stories of its students and information about the mission of the school. This month the Mariposa School is allowing public access to the stories of three autistic children via YouTube. According to the academic team, showing off the progress these students have made is a way to raise awareness for the high quality education and the intensive one-on-one education that students receive at Mariposa School. The videos are a testament to the power of early intervention for children with developmental delays.

The Mariposa School is making strides to promote successful teaching techniques for autistic children uploading films like “Max’s Story,” a film about a non-verbal student at Mariposa who communicates only through signs;

“Meghan’s Story,” about a student who has progressed to the point of speaking and interacting with her family;



and “Boston’s Story” about a boy who has learned to enjoy his parents and interact socially with them & others.

Other films on the channel include an overview of Mariposa School and the importance of “Helping Children with Autism Early”

Even with the wide range of these children’s abilities and perspectives, viewers will find one thing that is consistent among all the short films on the Mariposa YouTube channel -- each student’s story is a real story with narration by family members and teachers designed to effectively tell a story of hope.

View the channel today : http://www.youtube.com/AutismTakeFlight

Well-known Benefactor Comes To The Aid of Cary, NC Autism School

Today's blog is to share some exciting news about fundraising efforts for the Mariposa School. Recently the school received a "challenge grant" from a well-known philanthropist, Doris Buffett.

So what's a "challenge grant"? Basically the school has been "challenged" to raise 100,000 by Dec. 1st, 2008 in order to receive a grant of $50,000 from a foundation called, "The Sunshine Lady Foundation." The Sunshine Lady Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Doris Buffett, the sister of billionaire Warren Buffett. Doris Buffett personally called Jacqueline Gottlieb, Mariposa’s Head of School, to communicate the challenge. It's not easy for a small school to receive this type of recognition and a grant of this kind. This is a major win! Mrs. Buffett is a very special lady to make this happen.

There's a wonderful interview with Doris Buffett online. For those of you interested in learning more, click here. I love one of the things she said in the interview about educating children & the work of her foundation.

" We have a mission. We know the area we want to work in, and we stay within that. And it’s to help women and children, basically. It’s to level the playing field, to give opportunities for education to people, because as far as I know, that’s the only thing that really does anything, is education. " (source: Doris Buffet interview, C-SPAN's "Q & A" program Sunday night, May 11, 2008)

Mrs. Buffett is right on....education is what helps children, particularly children with Autism. The right education, and early intervention can put them on the track to becoming verbal, independent and productive.

Funding for the school helps the children at Mariposa School today, plus, the many more children with autism who are appplying for admission to this very special school. If the school can raise the funds then there will be funding to help support a much needed expansion of student programs. This includes early intervention programs. Early intervention is so vital for youngsters challenged by autism.

The mission of the school is to provide intensive instruction in a supportive environment designed to improve communication skills & the quality of life for children with autism. If you're out there reading this blog, please help meet the challenge, and make a contribution to the school today.

Gifts and donations are tax deductible and your help can change the life of a child for the better! Mrs. Buffett is already making a difference, now you can too!

Good-bye apathy! Max's Transformation

I have a confession to make – I’m not a joiner. I’ve just never really been someone who gets involved - not in the PTA, not in political campaigns, and not even neighborhood causes. For the last 20 years, I’ve stood by apathetically and watched my friend Laura as she got fired up about a cause, organized others to get fired up, and did things in her community. I’ve always admired her for her energy and commitment to the greater good, but it wasn’t for me. I was busy with work and taking care of my family. I told myself, “I have a lot on my plate, and I just don’t have time to do it”. I’ve always been grateful that people like Laura were there to take care of things and to make the world a better place for my family and me. The truth is that I was comfortable with my apathy.

That is until my son Max started at The Mariposa School.
My son Max has been going to Mariposa for 2 years now. He started with no functional communication and now he has close to 50 signs. He is even making up is own signs when he has difficulty using the one’s he know to tell me what he wants. Last night at the pool, Max went up to a woman he didn’t know and signed “sing”. She had been playing and singing a song to her child and Max thought it looked like fun. I wanted to jump up and down and scream to everyone “My child asked for something from someone he doesn’t know!” Realizing that was inappropriate, I just explained to the woman that he was asking her to sing. She smiled and started to sing again. Max splashed. Not everyday is filled with thrills such as this, but many are. Max going to Mariposa has completely changed my family’s life. My little man is truly coming out of the cocoon and I want to shout it from the rooftops “look what he can do!!”

Because of Max’s transformation, I want other children to have the chance to come to Mariposa and come out of their cocoons. We have had been so fortunate because we have a generous family member who helps us send Max to this wonderful school. We could not do this without her help. I know that there are other families who are fortunate like mine, but there are many more who are not. That is why raising money for The Mariposa School has become one of the most important things to me. I am committed to helping this school grow and to making it possible for all children to benefit.

Good-bye apathy!
So now that I’m fired up, the next step (based on watching what my friend has always done) is to get other people fired up. That is where you come in. There are many opportunities, both large and small, to help raise money for The Mariposa School. Even if you have limited time, we can find something for you to do. Together, we can meet this initial challenge to raise $100,000 by December 1. After that, the sky is the limit!

Article contributed by: Laura Fish-Hall

The Mariposa School: Progress. Excitement. Transformation. Hope.

The numbers of parents receiving the news that their child has autism continues to escalate, and time and time again, and its a fact that that there aren’t enough services available for them. Some public schools are not equipped to provide the intensive education theses special children require to meet their maximum potential. Time is ticking for these children, and we can’t allow it to slip by. Research has shown that early intervention is critical. Early intervention makes a dramatic difference both for the quality of the child’s life as well as the family. And that's what we do at the Mariposa School. We offer early intervention programs to help these special kids.

Because each child is unique, every student’s program is different. By working as a team, each teacher augments the input and efforts of the other teachers. There is no one right way to teach, as the methods for learning are as individual as each child.

This blog is a way to spread the word about what we've learned at the Mariposa School. Mariposa School focuses on teaching children with autism and other developmental disabilities how to use functional communication skills in order to interact with others and get their needs met. By giving these kids a means to communicate, frustration and behavioral issues are reduced. Join us here to share your experiences and learn about how to help these children.

We're listening. All children deserve a chance to learn and grow.