November / December 2005
Volume 23, Number 6

Recently we have had a number of families request that donations be made to Down Syndrome Aim High as a way of remembering someone special.  Usually it is for someone who has died, or it may be on the anniversary of his or her passing.

    A few months ago, a woman in Brooklyn, whose husband had passed away, contacted me.  She was going to have some friends over to remember him, and ask them to make a donation to a charity.  Her husband had had a sister with Down syndrome; she had been very dear to him and had passed away years before.  In her e-mail, this woman asked me to describe what our organization does.  She was considering Down Syndrome Aim High, among other charitable organizations, to have people donate to in her late husband’s memory.  When she learned more about Aim High, she decided to select us.  She later sent us a note describing the beautiful, sunny day she and her friends had together remembering her husband.

    Several local families have requested donations to Down Syndrome Aim High in memory of a loved one, and my family has been one of them.  This year we lost two members.  First my wife’s grandmother passed away.  Her great-grand-daughter (my daughter), who has Down syndrome, was very dear to her.  Her daughter – my wife’s mother – placed the following
notation in the obituary, “those wishing to remember Esther in a special way may wish to make a donation to Down Syndrome Aim High.”  It was a very nice tribute to her and one the whole family appreciated.  Then my wife’s mother passed away just a few months later, and we placed the same statement in her obituary.  It is very sad to see a loved one go, but very rewarding to see them honored in such a nice way.

    Several years back a friend had a milestone birthday party for her husband – probably his 40th.  In lieu of gifts, she requested that people bring a toy to be donated to Toys for Tots.  Whether it is to Down Syndrome Aim High or another organization, it’s a nice way to remember a loved one – by helping others.