Ten thousand copies of Maurice
by Maurice
What better way to celebrate Autism Awareness Month at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago than to have a Balloon Launch event at the Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research.
Simultaneously there was an open house at the school, which made April 23 a very busy day. What was most special about that Friday was that we had a couple of special guests that came to tour the school.
The first guest that came to the school was the honorable Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Illinois). I had the utmost pleasure of giving him and his dignitaries a grand tour of the Therapeutic School and he liked everything he saw. He came just in time for the staff and students to release the balloons outside of the school. Everyone including the Senator cheered as the different color balloons floated in the cloudy sky.
Just a few hours later, another special guest came. This time, it was Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (note to my Illinois friends: he didn’t bring the tumblers). His office was responsible for helping organize the Adult Vocational Program, a transitional facility for clients who want a work opportunity. He, too, was impressed with the Therapeutic School, but actually he was more impressed with … me! I shared my success story, which was flattering.
He entertained some of the staff and students with his warm personality and smile. In the end, he requested “ten thousand copies of Maurice.” That absolutely made me laugh. I guess he meant that with Easter Seals and early intervention there could be ten thousand more people like Maurice in the world that can be successful and make a difference.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:39 am
There’s PLENty of Maurices to go around, ladies and gentlemen!
April 29th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Thank you, Beth! Does this mean I’ll be cloned 10,000 times?
April 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
I agree with Jesse White. The world would be a much better place if we had ten times ten thousand copies of you, Maurice!