Riding the Taupo Challange for UpsideDowns Education Trust

$671 of $2,500 goal

Given by 23 generous donors in 23 days

I am riding the Taupo Challenge to raise money for the UpsideDowns Educational Trust who part fund SLT for children with Down Syndrome.

Auckland

After a ‘few’ drinks with a friend last New Year’s Eve we though it a good idea to complete the Taupo Cycle Challenge. The challange is a 160 Km ride around lake Taupo on the 26th November. How difficult can this ‘challenge’ be, after all I ride to work every day (10Km round trip)!! The challenge has quickly turned into a fundraiser for The UpsideDowns Educational Trust (who don’t receive government funding), they part fund Speech and language Therapy (SLT) for Children with Down Syndrome.

Our oldest daughter has Down Syndrome and like most children with Down Syndrome her language has taken a long time to develop. To help her we have employed a private SLT. Over the past few years everyone who knows her have commented on the clarity of her speech. We now have family conversations (our daughter is 12), although there are times her language lets her down, something we and her SLT are working on. If it wasn’t for The UpsideDowns Educational Trust part funding her SLT we would not be able to afford the regular SLT session and our daughters speech would not have developed to the point it is at.

Please donate to this amazing organisation, they have many families like ours on their waiting list. Whilst these families are on the waiting list their child is not receiving SLT and this will affect them throughout their lives!!

Mark Stevenson's involvement (page creator)

Our oldest daughter has Down Syndrome and has benefited from continued Speech and Language Therapy (SLT). Without the funding we receive from the UpsideDowns Educational Trust we would not have been able to afford the regular SLT sessions and our daughters speech would not be as advanced.