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The Florida Grantor, Fall 2006

Florida Disability Mentoring Day A Growing Success

This October 18th , over 13,000 students and job seekers with disabilities and business professionals from across the country came together to participate in the National Disability Mentoring Day. DMD is a national job shadowing event that connects students and job seekers with business professionals from various career fields.

In Florida, more than 700 students and job seekers with disabilities were matched with more than 300 business professionals to learn about careers in technology, communications, law, healthcare and more.

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Darden Restaurants, Clear Channel Radio, the Florida Supreme Court and the Florida's Governor and Lieutenant Governor's Office were just a few organizations that participated in this year's DMD.

This was the fifth year in which The Able Trust has partnered with several organizations throughout Florida to host Florida DMD. More than 100 volunteer community liaisons from across the state paired student and job seekers with business professionals. As a result of DMD, several mentees were offered internships, employment, volunteer and mentoring opportunities.

The Able Trust and partnering organizations commemorated Florida DMD with a kick-off celebration in Miami. Marc Buoniconti, son of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti and Ambassador for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, served as Honorary Chair for the celebration.

Disability Mentoring Day is hosted nationally by the American Association of People with Disabilities and sponsored by Darden Restaurants. Florida DMD major sponsors include: The Able Trust; the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Clear Channel Radio; Volunteer Florida and Florida Mentoring Partnership. To learn more about DMD visit the Florida DMD website at www.floridadmd.org.