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2010 Child Abuse Prevention Program Excellence
Award Prevent Child Abuse Illinois has chosen Reagan's Rescue as the recipient
of its 2010 Central Region Child Abuse Prevention Program Excellence Award. The award was presented to Reagan's great-grandparents,
Jim and Roberta Williams, at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, Illinois, on April 1 as part of the kick-off to Child
Abuse Prevention Month in Illinois and around the country. Reagan's Rescue also had an information booth at the event.
Future Problem Solvers Finalists for SBS
Prevention Campaign The North Ridge Middle School Future Problem Solvers
of Danville, Illinois, were finalists for their Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention campaign. The FPS International Convention
was held in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, from June 9-13, 2010. Reagan's Rescue is grateful for the group's yearlong project
and all of their efforts on behalf of innocent children everywhere.
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| NRMS FPS "I Will Prevent It" Booth |
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| Cut-out of Reagan's Rescue logo |
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| FPS Members Christian Cunningham and Alexis Simmons discuss project |
Future Problem Solvers Attempt World Record
Again On May 14, 2010, the North Ridge Middle School Future Problem Solvers
once again attempted to break a world record by launching Mentos in liters of Diet Pepsi. Although the group fell short
of the needed number of participants, the publicity for the event did successfully raise awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The launch was part of the FPS "I Will Prevent It" Campaign. Reagan's Rescue congratulates
the organization and wishes everyone good luck when they compete in the national competition in La Crosse, Wisconsin
in June.
Click here to get to the Commercial-News website and follow the directions to the video on the newspaper's facebook page.
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| FPS members Bailey (Reagan's aunt), Tristan, and Lucas |
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| 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...I Will Prevent It! |
Future Problem Solvers Display Pinwheels
for Prevention Future Problem Solvers at North Ridge Middle School in Danville,
Illinois, participated in the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign by Prevent Child Abuse Illinois in April 2010. FPS worked
in conjunction with Reagan's Rescue to bring awareness of child abuse (specifically Shaken Baby Syndrome) to the school
and the community. The pinwheels are navy blue (the color which signifies child abuse) and silver.
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| Pinwheels for Prevention--North Ridge Middle School April 2010 |
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| Pinwheels for Prevention--North Ridge Middle School April 2010 |
Lakeview College of Nursing Presentation Greg provided a short presentation on Shaken Baby Syndrome at the Lakeview College of Nursing in Danville
on April 15, 2010. The presentation was a part of the school's Domestic Violence seminar. Thanks to Jason Reynolds
for the invitation and the opportunity to meet with nursing students on such an important issue. Nurses, after all,
are the gateway to the doctor.
4th Annual Reagan Williams Memorial Track
Invitational The 4th Annual Reagan Williams Memorial Track Invitational
was held in the Danville High School Field House beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 27. Shaken Baby Syndrome brochures,
event t-shirts, and Reagan wristbands were available. Participating schools included Danville, Champaign, Oakwood,
Georgetown-Ridge Farm, and Rantoul. Special thanks goes out to Coach Steve Luke and his team for their generosity and
support.
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| 4th Annual Reagan Williams Invitational |
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| 4th Annual Reagan Williams Invitational |
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| 4th Annual Reagan Williams Invitational |
Reagan's Family Goes to Springfield On March 4, 2010, Reagan's great-grandparents, Jim and Roberta Williams, testified before an Illinois
House Committee in support of HB 6213, which would require a judge to impose an extended prison term if the death of a child
was the result of abuse. The bill was introduced by Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, in response to the seven year prison
sentence given to Ryan Allhands, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Reagan. On March 23, the bill was
approved by the Illinois House 112-3. Chief co-sponsor of the bill was Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. Reagan's Rescue
is proud of and grateful to Bill Black for his diligence and ferocity in this legislation.
North Ridge Middle School Wins State Competition
for SBS Campaign Congratulations to the North Ridge Middle School Future
Problem Solvers. The group has won first place in Illinois for its Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness campaign called "I
Will Prevent It." The students have received a bid to attend the international competition to be held this
coming June in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The project was undertaken in memory of Reagan. Award-winning Future Problem Solvers Fundraiser
in Memory of Reagan On January 17, 2010, the North Ridge Middle School Future
Problem Solvers, in cooperation with Guinness, attempted to break a world record by launching 2500 liters of Diet Pepsi and
Mentos geysers simultaneously. Although the record was not broken, the event, covered locally and nationally, still
made a big splash. The "I Will Prevent It" project, which included a serious message about domestic
violence and Shaken Baby Syndrome, was held in the field adjacent to WDAN/WDNL radio station in Danville,
Illinois. Proceeds will go to the refurbishing of a new room in memory of Reagan at the Women's Shelter at Your Family
Resource Connection in Danville. The group will make a second attempt at the record in May. Click below for a brief slideshow of the event and the Future Problem Solvers youtube video. "I Will Prevent It" Campaign 1/17/10
Future Problem Solvers youtube Video
Community Day Fundraiser a Success Reagan's Rescue once again took part in Community Day at Elder-Beerman. For
a $5 donation to Reagan's Rescue, customers could get a $10 off coupon and many other percentage off coupons good for great
deals storewide. The Saturday November 14 event was also held at Bergner's, Carson Pirie Scott, and Younkers. Many
thanks to all of our family, co-workers, and friends who helped us make this fundraiser a huge success.
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| Bailey and Greg at Community Day 11/14/09 |
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| Ian, JJ, and Mallory at Community Day 11/14/09 |
Reagan's Rescue Receives Proceeds
from Lafayette Improvisational Group LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Organizations that distribute books to underprivileged
children, solicit and allocate food donations to county organizations, and bring greater awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome
to the public received donations from a local improvisational comedy group in early November. The Community &
Family Resource Center's Book Cycle program, Food Finders Food Bank, and Reagan's Rescue received equal amounts of the
total box office revenue from the "One Size Fits All Gives Back" improvisational comedy show on Friday, Nov. 6 at
the Lafayette Brewing Company, 622 Main Street in downtown Lafayette. The show began at 9 p.m. The special event was
organized by One Size Fits All Improv, the longest-running improvisational comedy group in Tippecanoe County. Co-Director
Steve Martin said the group had a definite goal when arranging the event. "When times are difficult, people
need to escape their cares for a while and laugh," he said. "Making people laugh and helping them enjoy themselves
for 90 minutes is always our group's first priority. And when times are difficult, many charitable organizations may find
they need a helping hand financially. One Size Fits All is fortunate to be able to perform in venues like the Lafayette Brewing
Company, and we wanted to share that with groups who are creating a positive impact. The best way we can do that is through
donations of money." In addition to the box office donation from the improvisational comedy group, the organizations
received a donation from the Lafayette Brewing Company. Owner Greg Emig explained why he wanted to donate 10 percent
of the sales made in the restaurant's upper room during the night of the show. "Like so many organizations in and
around our area, these programs do good work and directly impact people's lives," he said. "Supporting them supports
our community and our region; it improves the quality of life." Admission to the "One Size Fits All
Gives Back" show was $6, with tickets available at the door the evening of the performance. The event was for
people age 21 and over only. Reagan's Rescue would especially like to thank Gary McFall, emcee for the show
and Reagan's uncle, who helped make the evening possible. Related Web sites: Lafayette
Brewing Company: http://www.lafayettebrewingco.com/ One Size Fits All: http://www.onesizefitsallimprov.com/ Community & Family Resource Center: http://www.cfrc.org/ Food Finders Food Bank: http://www.food-finders.org/ For a brief slideshow, click the link below.
One Size Fits All Gives Back 11/6/09
Candlelight Vigil for
Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness To commemorate the 3rd anniversary
of Reagan's passing, Reagan's Rescue held a Candlelight Vigil on July 2, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of Central
Christian Church in Danville, Illinois. We celebrated the life of Reagan, shared information about both Shaken
Baby Syndrome (Abusive Head Trauma) and our ongoing advocacy efforts to bring awareness of SBS and domestic violence
to the east central Illinois area, and talked about healing. We also heard from Susan Gallion, mother of an SBS survivor,
her adopted daughter, Lakia. For a brief slideshow, click the link below.
Candlelight Vigil 7/2/09
Reagan's Rescue Receives Broadcasting
Recognition Danville, Illinois, radio station WDNL received a second
place in the Illinois Broadcasters Association 2009 Silver Dome Award for Excellence in Broadcasting under the Best Locally
Produced Public Service Announcement for a Local Charity/Cause category. The PSA on Shaken Baby Syndrome was co-sponsored
by the Provena United Samaritans Medical Center and Reagan's Rescue. The Silver Dome Awards, given
annually by the IBA, were presented on June 17, 2009, in East Peoria. You can hear the PSA on our About
Us page. Reagan's Rescue Scholarship Awarded The 2009 recipient of the Reagan's Rescue Scholarship is Madhavi Bhavsar, recent Danville High School
graduate from the Class of '09 and Co-Valedictorian. The $500 award was presented to Madhavi on May 12 at the DHS Organizational
Awards Assembly. Madhavi will be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago to pursue a degree in pediatric medicine.
Danville High Key Club Donation Thanks to art teacher John Rackow and members of the DHS Key Club for their generous and unexpected
donation to Reagan's Rescue.
3rd Annual Reagan Williams Memorial Track Invitational The 3rd Annual Reagan Williams Memorial Track Invitational was held on Saturday, March 28, 2009, in
the DHS Field House. Area boys track teams competed in the 3 hour event. Reagan's Rescue sold t-shirts, child
abuse pinwheels (for Child Abuse Awareness month in April), and wristbands. Special thanks goes out to Coach Luke and
his team along with the many volunteers who helped out.
Greg Speaks at DACC Early Childhood Conference On Saturday, March 7, 2009, Greg presented a workshop entitled "Shaken Baby Syndrome: One
Small Candle" for the Early Childhood Conference at Danville Area Community College. Community Day Fundraiser a Success Thanks to the generosity and support of friends and Elder-Beerman customers, Reagan's Rescue raised
$1090 during the store's Community Day sale on February 28. Special thanks to Renae Cleveland for her guidance and
compassion. Reagan and Reagan's Rescue Cited in Illinois
House Resolution Illinois Senator William Haine of Alton has introduced
Senate Resolution 49, designating the week of April 20-26, 2009, as Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week in the State
of Illinois. The resolution cites both Reagan as a non-survivor and Reagan's Rescue as one of many national organizations
devoted to educating the public about SBS. You can read the resolution by clicking the link below.
Reagan Featured in the NCSBS Footprint Campaign Reagan's story is featured in this year's fundraising brochure from the National Center
on Shaken Baby Syndrome. The campaign is entitled Footprints. NCSBS Director of Development Ryan Steinbeigle was
so touched by Greg's presentation in Vancouver that he asked if Reagan's photo and story could be used in the center's
fundraising material. Click on the pictures to get a closer look. We invite you to visit the NCSBS website for
donation information. Reagan's Rescue, a 501(c)(3) public charity, also accepts donations.
Go to our Getting Involved page for more information.
SBS-AHT
Conference
Seventh North American Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome (Abusive
Head Trauma)
October 5, 6, 7, 2008
Vancouver, B. C., Canada
Greg Williams conducted a workshop entitled
"One Small Candle: Creating an SBS Advocacy Group" about the formation of Reagan's Rescue. Click
the title below to see the Powerpoint presentation.
One Small Candle
Breakfast Kiwanis Meeting Greg was a guest speaker at the Breakfast Kiwanis Club meeting at 6:45 a.m. on July 21, 2008, at CRIS
Senior Services. He spoke about the formation of Reagan's Rescue.
Lincoln Park Theatre Company Production of Annie
The Lincoln Park Theatre Company presented the musical Annie
on July 18, 19, and 20, 2008, outdoors in historic Lincoln Park in Danville, Illinois. Although the performances were
free to the public, LPTC chose Reagan's Rescue as the focus of its fundraising campaign called Save a Child.
Reagan's aunt, Bailey, had the title role of Annie. Reagan's grandfather, Greg, portrayed Oliver Warbucks.
Reagan's father, Ian, played Drake, the butler. Reagan wristbands were sold for $5 each, and several other
local businesses lent their support as well. Click on the photo below to see the cast of Annie.
Check out Photos by Tam on our Links page for more pictures from the show.
Golden Kiwanis Meeting
Greg was a guest speaker at the April 7, 2008, meeting
of Golden Kiwanis at CRIS Senior Services. He spoke about the work of Reagan's Rescue and accepted a generous
contribution from the very appreciative and informed group.
Reagan and Reagan's Rescue Cited in Two State of Illinois Child Abuse Proclamations
On March
1, 2008, a proclamation was signed recognizing Shaken Baby Syndrome in Illinois and designating April 21-27,
2008, as Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week. Reagan, as a victim, was mentioned. An Illinois Senate
resolution in honor of Child Abuse Awareness month in Illinois has recognized Reagan, as a non-survivor, and Reagan's
Rescue, as a child advocacy group, as well. Click the proclamation to see a close-up version. Click
the link below to read the Senate resolution.
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| State of Illinois Proclamation |
Illinois Senate Resolution
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2nd Annual Reagan Williams Memorial Invitational
The DHS Boys Track
Team hosted the second annual Reagan Williams Invitational on Saturday, March 22, 2008, at
9 a.m. This meet included teams from Danville, Georgetown-Ridge Farm, Hoopeston, Oakwood, and Rantoul. Reagan
wristbands, event t-shirts, and programs were available for purchase. A 50/50 raffle and a drawing for a Reagan
Emery Bear, compliments of Boyds Bears, were held. All monies collected went to Reagan’s Rescue. Most
of the proceeds will go to a new Reagan Williams Memorial Scholarship, given to a DHS senior who plans a career as a
firefighter, EMT, pediatric nurse or doctor, or law enforcement official. The event, sponsored by Courtesy Ford, was
held in the DHS Field House. Thanks to Coach Steve Luke and Athletic Director B. J. Luke for their support and generosity.
Early Childhood Education Conference at DACC
Greg conducted a workshop entitled Shaken Baby Syndrome: One Small Candle on Saturday, March 15,
2008, at the Early Childhood Education Conference at Danville Area Community College. The workshop included SBS facts,
ways to handle crying, the viewing of two short videos, and a discussion about what those who attended could do to spread
the word on SBS. The daylong conference was held at the Bremer Conference Center and the Clock Tower Center.
Dedication of Reagan Williams Playroom at YFRC
The Green and Williams families gathered on January 29, 2008, at Your Family Resource Connection to dedicate
a playroom in memory of Reagan. Toys, books, and a kitchen set donated by Reagan's Rescue were carefully placed
around the room. A hobby horse and a rocking chair from the Builder's Club at North Ridge Middle School were
also ready for use in the room. Decorations included a Dora the Explorer theme which Reagan would have loved.
On the wall is displayed a portrait of Reagan, painted by her great-grandmother, Roberta Williams.
Festival of Trees
Thanks
to designer and friend Julia Megan Sullivan, Reagan's Rescue was beautifully represented at the Festival of Trees this
year (November 9 through November 14) with a Christmas tree entitled Angels on Earth. Although the
original concept was a tribute to Reagan, Julia decided to create a tree that Reagan would have loved. Decorated with
numerous Doras, butterflies, and stars, the tree would certainly have captivated Reagan; in fact, it is our hope that she
did see it. We are also confident that the tree gave pleasure to other children while reminding adults about
their responsibilities as caregivers.
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| A Christmas gift for our explorer |
Toys for Tots
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| Ian Williams, left, presenting toys on behalf of Reagan's Rescue, Christmas 2007 |
YFRC Candlelighting Service
On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at 6:30 p.m.,
Greg spoke at the Candlelighting Service at Your Family Resource Connection, held in conjunction with Domestic Abuse
month. He told the audience about Shaken Baby Syndrome statistics and the origin of Reagan's Rescue.
Greg's dad, Pastor Jim Williams, offered a closing prayer. Also in attendance were Marsha Williams and Roberta Williams. Please read about Reagan's growing legacy in other
communities.
Candlelight Vigil
A candlelight vigil was held on the front lawn of Central Christian
Church at 9 p.m. on July 2, 2007, the one year anniversary of Reagan's death. Some three hundred people attended
the thirty minute service, including the Tilton Fire Department. Greg Williams spoke about Shaken Baby Syndrome facts.
Gary Green shared his memories of Reagan. Joni Markel, whose great-niece, Macey Duewar, was also a victim
of Shaken Baby Syndrome, talked about recent legislation and the need for lessons on SBS in the public schools. Ted Vacketta
from Central Christian Church offered a prayer.
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| Candlelight Vigil on July 2, 2007, at Central Christian Church |
YFRC
Child Awareness Workshop
Reagan's Rescue sponsored a booth about Shaken Baby Syndrome
at the YFRC Child Awareness Workshop on April 19, 2007. The presentation included a 6-minute video on SBS and a personal
talk about losing Reagan. Brochures were available as well as Reagan bracelets. More information can be found
at the Commercial-News website.
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| Greg sharing information with his father, Jim Williams, at the Reagan's Rescue booth |
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Upcoming Events
Reagan's Rescue to Present Worskhop at International
Conference Greg and Marsha Williams, Reagan's paternal grandparents, have
been chosen to present a workshop at the 11th Annual International Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome. The conference
will be held this September in Atlanta, Georgia. The workshop, scheduled for Monday, September 13, is entitled
"One Small Candle: Creating an SBS Advocacy Group." For a sneak peek at the conference program, click
the link below.
2010 NCSBS/AHT Conference Program
Lost Mill String Band CDs for SALE Thanks to our friends Jerry and Joan Paul of Sevierville, Tennessee, for donating copies of their CDs,
including Old Mountain Preacher and their newest recording for children entitled Kiddin' Around,
to Reagan's Rescue. If you love bluegrass and mountain music, you'll love Lost Mill String Band. Check
out our link to their website and look at our Getting Involved page for information on how
you can support Reagan's Rescue and enjoy special music from this special couple.
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| Lost Mill String Band with Greg and Marsha |
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| Jerry and Joan Paul at the Happy Valley Bluegrass Festival June 2010 |
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Reagan Emery Bear
Boyd's
Bears Spring/Summer 2008 line included a bear named in memory of Reagan Emery. The
bear, now retired, was offered locally at Dena's Hallmark in Towne Centre in Danville, Illinois. Boyd's
donated 12 bears for us to use in fundraising efforts. We thank the company for its generosity. Let us know if
you still want a Reagan Emery, and we'll pull a few strings to find one.
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| Meet Boyd's bear Reagan Emery |
We
hope to update this page often with new photos and information.
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