Teetering for Tots - University of Toledo Theta Tau fundraiser

An informational release via my oldest daughter, Emily:

On October 6th and 7th, 2006, Theta Tau, the Professional Engineering Fraternity at the University of Toledo, will once again be hosting “Teetering for Tots.” This event is a very exciting way that Theta Tau chooses to support an important local charity called the Sunshine Foundation. The Sunshine Foundation, located in Maumee, Ohio is a Mennonite-affiliated, non-profit organization serving people with mental retardation and other development disabilities and their families. Sunshine was founded in 1950 by Roy and Georgette Engler of Maumee, Ohio. The Englers had five children who were mentally retarded due to a condition of blood incompatibility that is treatable today. The Englers decided to use their tragedy and experience as caregivers to help others, opening Sunshine Children’s Home in 1951. By the next year, the Englers, their four adult children and three employees were caring for 23 infants and toddlers.


Today Sunshine serves more than 900 individuals and families in a variety of settings. Sunshine’s Children’s Home now cares for 75 medically fragile children and young adults on a sprawling 25-acre wooded campus on Maumee Western Road in Maumee, Ohio. An additional 100 adults are cared for in 16 Family Care Homes spread across three counties and another 125 adults received supported living services in their own homes. Sunshine’s Family Support Department coordinates several programs providing family resource dollars, crisis intervention, weekly recreational programming and overnight respite care. Sunshine also offers supported employment opportunities, therapeutic animal activities, clinical services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy and many other support services. The organization continues to be guided by the vision of Roy and Georgette Engler and the values of the Mennonite Church to provide loving care to persons in need.

Although Sunshine is supported by state and federal sources, these funds do not provide the extras needed by the more than 900 people that are served. From special communication devices to wheelchair-accessible play equipment to major construction projects, the Foundation and its supporters are there to provide needed programs, projects and personnel. Through the support and donations of people like you, the Sunshine Foundation can continue to provide exceptional care to those in need. Teetering for Tots is a 24 hour teeter-totter marathon which takes place in the day leading up to the Homecoming Football game at the University of Toledo. With the generosity of our sponsors last year, Theta Tau was able to raise over $2000 for this important cause. This year, with your generous donations, we hope to raise much more money to assist this very important organization. Please pledge, not to support this event, but to support all the individuals and families that are served by the Sunshine Foundation.

As a personal addition to the above:

If you'd like to help Theta Tau and the Sunshine Foundation by making a donation you can mail a check or money order to Theta Tau at:

Theta Tau
ATT: Emily
1045 Nitschke Hall
University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

If you need more information or would prefer another method to make a donation, drop me an email at glasscityjungle@gmail.com and I'll do what I can to help.

Thanks for reading this and thank you to all of you who can help. Yes, I plan to have pictures of this event, thankfully I will not be on any teeter totters...

:-)