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The Hearing and Speech Agency (HASA) today announced that it has rescued dumpster-bound student chairs and transformed them into a unique fundraising opportunity. The chairs, which were previously used by students of HASA’s Gateway School
(a special education program for children, ages 3-12 with severe communication disorders), were destined for a dumpster when HASA relocated in 2003. At the last moment, it was determined that there was value to the chairs’ history and a potential for their future life.
This year, HASA launched “Take a Seat,” a fundraising initiative that will be fully unveiled at HASA’s largest annual fundraising event, Vibe ‘07. “Take a Seat” involves local athletes, artists, students and friends restoring and designing the student chairs with their own special touches. Some of the child-sized chairs to be auctioned are playful and colorful, reflecting their past use by school children, while other chairs are more humorous in theme or sophisticated in design.
Through live and silent auctions of the chairs at Vibe ‘07, HASA will raise funds for people of all ages who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have speech/language disorders, autism or other communication difficulties. Some of the chairs to be auctioned are:
“Artichoke Chair” by Allisun Thompson’s Gateway School class for children with special education needs
“Chair in Black and Red” decorated and autographed by the Baltimore Blast, Baltimore’s indoor soccer team
“Color Lines: A Study in Green and Blue” by Rebecca Fyfe, instructional assistant and artist at Gateway School
“Ode to Guiseppi” by Tom Dixon, local painter, sculptor and multimedia artist
“Giggles” by Suzanne Levin-Lapides, interior design associate at Louis Mazor
“It’s Just Fun” by Mary Page Stewart, artist and friend of HASA
“Jungle Chair” by Kathleen Laudeman, friend of HASA
“‘Naughty Chair’ – Who says punishment has to hurt?” by Susan Sunderland, owner of Susan Sunderland Interiors
“Two by Two” by Martin Thaler, designer and professor at the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Vermont
“Study of Frogs and Dogs” by Sandye Sirota, artist and friend of HASA
“Torn Paper Chair” by Heather Eisgrau’s Gateway School class for children, ages 3-5 who are deaf
“We’re Not in Kansas Anymore” by Jackie Martin, owner of Jackie Martin Designs
“Sit Doggie” by Mark Barry, nationally recognized artist and writer
“Let the Princess in you Rule” by Sandra Magsamen, award-winning author, artist and art therapist
HASA will host “Take a Seat,” at Vibe ‘07 on May 11, 2007 at 7 p.m. at the American Visionary Art Museum. For more information about attending, visit http://www.hasa.org/vibe. For media inquiries and photographs of the chairs, please contact Amanda Karfakis at Vitamin at (410) 732-6542 or amanda@vitamininc.net.
About The Hearing and Speech Agency
Established in 1926, The Hearing and Speech Agency (HASA) is the only non-profit organization in Maryland solely dedicated to meeting the speech, language, and hearing needs of children and adults who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech and language disabilities. Serving more than 4,000 clients and students annually, HASA leads the way as a direct service provider, information resource center, and advocate for people of ages and income levels. HASA offers a number of specialized programs and services, including American Sign Language classes, interpreters for the deaf, clinical speech and audiology services, and educational programming through Gateway School for children ages 3-12 (many of whom are diagnosed with autism). HASA’s state-of-the-art facility – The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building – encompasses classrooms, audiology testing booths, therapy suites, resource centers, and numerous other therapeutic amenities to improve lives through more effective communication.
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