Dear ALDA Friends,

      

      Spring greetings to all! I hope everyone has been enjoying the warmer weather. I'm excited about our new brochure, which can be found through the membership link at left.

     This updated version was a joint effort by our board members and the result is impressive. Special thanks go to Diane Smith-Gale and to ALDA-GS Secretary, Joanne Sammer, for lending their artistic and professional skills.  Please feel free to share it with old and new friends and post it wherever you think fit. You may also print it out to share with those you feel may be interested. It’s a wonderful means of spreading the news about ALDA-GS!  The more you share, the more people who need us can be reached.

With warmer weather comes thoughts of the annual Walk4Hearing.  This year, the New Jersey walk will be held on Saturday, October 16 at Mercer County Park West in West Windsor, NJ.  The walk is a wonderful opportunity to help provide support and resources for hearing loss prevention and education programs. ALDA-GS will be represented again this year by Team ALDA-Best.  I hope all of you will visit the Walk’s web site at www.walk4hearing.org and support our team. Detailed instructions for signing up for walkers or donations can be found on the Activities page. Look for Walk4Hearing.

  The walk is a fun, casual event and a great way to spend time with old friends while making new ones. We are counting on you to join our team!  But even if you cannot be a walker, please consider supporting us with a donation. This is our main fundraising event for the year.

In closing, I would like to remind everyone that preparations for the national ALDA convention are in full swing.  This year’s conference will  be September 1-5  in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado.  What better excuse to take a well-deserved vacation?  If you have never attended a convention, I urge you to go to the ALDA, Inc. website, www.alda.org, for more information. ALDAcon is a wonderful way to keep up with new technology and services, and participate in many fun social events. Everything at ALDAcon is communication accessible.  As many of us who have attended past conventions can attest, friends are made quickly in such a relaxing environment where everyone feels at ease to communicate.  Even if you know no one when you arrive, I can guarantee that you will leave feeling like you have found a new family!  And after all, isn’t that what ALDA is all about?

                                                         ALDA Best,

                                                                         Doreen