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The Florida Grantor, Summer 2003

President's Message

by Sharon Griffith
President & CEO

Another successful quarter has kept The Able Trust staff busy both in and out of the office.

This summer marked the fourth annual Youth Leadership Forum, where almost eighty young adults with disabilities came together to develop their own personal leadership skills. Thanks to the support of many sponsors, including the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, the YLF was again a success.

Our grants program continues to flourish, with the Foundation ending the fiscal year in June with over $2 million awarded in grants. In addition, The Able Trust recently awarded over $296,000 in grants to expand services for its fourteen High School/High Tech sites across the state. On orientation is planned for the HS/HT project directors in late August to help each of them prepare for a successful year with their students.

Most recently, The Able Trust joined motorcycle enthusiasts and leaders from the disability community to celebrate the creation of the Bikers Care tag, Florida’s new specialty license plate for motorcycles. Proceeds from the sale of the tag will benefit The Able Trust, who will in turn distribute the funds to the Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Program, Centers for Independent Living, and Prevent Blindness. The foundation will be collaborating with these organizations to promote the new tag upon its release in early 2004.

In the meantime, The Able Trust looks forward to a busy fall quarter, with several special events planned, as well as new projects in the works. These include Disability Mentoring Day on October 15 and the Gala at Mar-a-Lago on November 1. In addition, we will be unveiling results from our statewide Employer Study.

Be sure to visit our website regularly for updates, and sign up for our E-newsletters so you can receive instant notifications about Foundation news.