Turning the calendar to April provided a stark reminder of just how quickly time flies! How is it possible for one quarter of 2012 to have already passed us by? Amazing!

The leap into spring also served to focus my attention on what's ahead, as April's calendar page included Post-It notes filled with reminders for upcoming events, each of which is an annual and eagerly anticipated occurrence. As the year advances to May, things begin to heat up!

Saturday, May 5 is the date of Options' annual Bowl-a-Thon, with proceeds going directly toward the purchase of products ultimately distributed at no charge to eligible individuals through our Personal Care Bank. This year's event will be held at Starlite Lanes on Clark Street Road in Auburn. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m., with actual bowling from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost is only $40 per team of four, and includes shoe rental, two games of bowling and a commemorative T-shirt.

Bowlers are encouraged to bring a personal care item or cleaning product (or two or three!) to the event. Each donated item will entitle you to a chance to win multiple door prizes, with the grand prize being a new rocker/recliner donated by Lynch's Furniture! Please call Sara Douglass at Options (255-3447ext. 318) for a registration form!

Also in May, Options will once again celebrate passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act by holding its Disability Awareness Day at a Cayuga County school. This year, third-graders at Port Byron Central School will participate in an assembly on May 8, during which they will hear from numerous community members and teachers who have assumed disabilities for the day (or who actually have a disability).  Disabilities will range from vision and hearing impairment/blindness to mobility impairment (requiring the use of a wheelchair), and will include an individual working with the guidance and assistance of a service animal.

Students will learn how the individuals' days were impacted by their disabilities, and have a chance to ask questions of the participants. Those who actually have or have assumed a disability will be transported to the Port Byron school through the generosity of and by volunteers from the SCAT Van, and treated to a luncheon graciously donated and catered by the Simmons family and Balloons Restaurant of Auburn.

June is usually the month for Options' Annual Conference, and this year is no exception. This year's conference, with the theme "Empowering Your Tomorrow: The Tools for Building Your Future," is scheduled for Thursday, June 21 at the Auburn Holiday Inn. Twelve different workshops/seminars will be available during three separate sessions during the course of the day, and attendees will be able to browse the wares and information made available at numerous exhibitors' tables in between sessions and following the luncheon.

Of special interest this year is our keynote speaker for the conference, Ms. Angela Winfield of Blind Faith Enterprises LLC. We are indeed grateful and excited to have Winfield, an Auburn resident who is both a superb attorney and a renowned inspirational speaker, agree to speak to the advocates and consumers who will gather for our conference!

All in all, a busy spring and early summer is in store at Options for Independence. Please give us a call us at 255-3447, stop at our offices at 75 Genesee St., or visit us at www.optionsforindependence.org for more information or to register for any of the events mentioned. We're looking forward to seeing you!