Leonardo makes waves in the special needs community
Leonardo--a Beverly Shores resident and independent children's recording artist--will be releasing his second CD, Makin' Waves, on October 21. The upbeat album will feature 15 original songs, with vocal backup provided by teens who have Down syndrome. Inspired by his brother Mario--who has both Down syndrome and autism--Leonardo is a musical advocate for special needs children. He explains, "I want to create awareness of the gifts, talents and possibilities that people with developmental disabilities possess. One way I can help is by serving as a role model for people with special needs." Accordingly, Leonardo spends a good portion of each year performing at camps, awareness gatherings and fundraisers for kids of all abilities, and spreads his positive message with empowering songs such as "Do It Myself." As for the title of his new CD, Leonardo explains, "We can 'make waves' by speaking out against something wrong, creating change, and being an example to others. I see special needs and disability issues as the next step in the progress of human rights . . . With this CD, I also wanted to offer a bit of solace to the parents and caregivers who are an integral part of kids' lives. Special needs or not, it's a tough job to be a parent. I try to create a celebration of possibilities." Check out Leonardo's website at leonardomusic.com.
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Labor of love helps NWI families
Schererville author Jane Bomberger is helping Northwest Indiana siblings welcome new babies into their family with her recently published children's book No One Ever Said a Brand-New Brother/Sister Would Be Fun! The book--which includes activity pages and a plastic storage pouch--tells the story of a mother and father who are at the hospital for the birth of their baby while at home the pet frog has polliwogs and the dog delivers a litter of puppies. According to Bomberger, "This is an exciting project that encourages family members to sit down and read about the very thing they are experiencing at home. This is about the overall health and well-being of our little ones--the next generation." The project is illustrated by Michelle Vasquez, who is a graduate of Clark High School in Whiting and currently a student at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and has been endorsed by Schererville teacher Dawn Curosh and pediatrician Robert A. Dershewitz of Munster. The book is being distributed as a gift to parents whose babies are born in either Munster's Community Hospital, East Chicago's St. Catherine Hospital, or Hobart's St. Mary Medical Center (and Bomberger points out that distribution began, appropriately enough, on Labor Day!). The book will also be for sale in hospital gift shops, along with a set of three stuffed dogs that represent characters in the story. For more information, call 219.836.0130.
A golden opportunity for area swimmers comes to Munster
On August 28, renowned distance swimmer Janet Evans--who won four gold medals and one silver medal in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics--gave a motivational talk, signed autographs, and showed her medals to area student athletes at the Munster High School Auditorium. As she recounted her Olympic journey, Evans focused on what it means to be a "champion," which, surprisingly, she didn't feel she became until the 1996 Olympics. Despite breaking world records for gold in 1988, she had a relatively disappointing showing in the 1992 Games, a subsequent loss of confidence and a brief retirement from swimming before returning to the sport at USC. Then, she says, "they asked me to run the torch [in the 1996 Opening Ceremonies] second to last. I said I wasn't going to the Opening Ceremonies because my 400 freestyle was the next day, but they said it would be my greatest Olympic moment . . . So there I was, carrying the symbol of the Olympic games, and I saw 10,000 athletes looking at the torch. I looked past all of the Americans, and saw the international athletes, who were transfixed by the flame, and I realized that the majority weren't going to win any medals, but were doing their best for their country. Someone walked up behind me, and it was Muhammad Ali. He was a shadow of his former self, but he took the torch and lit the cauldron. The next day, I came in ninth in my prelim, and didn't qualify for the finals in the 400 free. When the media asked me what happened, I said, 'I did my best,' and that's all that mattered. It was my favorite Olympic moment, and I left Atlanta as a champion."
