Roy Atwood to be Honored as Milton P. Levy, Jr.,
Outstanding Volunteer Award Recipient
Award will be presented at the 10th Annual A
Special Evening with Willie Nelson hosted by Alliance Data
on Tuesday, April 26
Cathy
Packard, CEO, LaunchAbility®,
[formerly Special Care & Career Services]
today announced Roy T. Atwood, a long-time board member,
former president of the board and tireless supporter, as the
recipient of the Milton P. Levy, Jr., Outstanding Volunteer
Award.
The award will be presented on Tuesday, April 26
as part of the
10th Annual A Special Evening with Willie Nelson
hosted by Alliance Data benefitting LaunchAbility at the
Meyerson
Symphony Center in Dallas.
Since 2002 LaunchAbility has named an individual as the
recipient of the
Milton P. Levy, Jr., Outstanding Volunteer Award.
This award is presented to someone who has shown
leadership in the community in
support of LaunchAbility’s mission to build independence for
children and adults with disabilities.
A litigation attorney with the law firm of Jones
Day, Atwood has served on the LaunchAbility Board of
Trustees since 2001 and as President of the Board from 2006
through 2008.
“Roy epitomizes the spirit of the Milton P.
Levy, Jr Outstanding Volunteer Award by being
extraordinarily successful in a very demanding job, yet
still making time for his family and his community,” Packard
said. “Outside of the office he volunteers for the Boy
Scouts, his church, has served on City Boards in addition to
serving on the Board of LaunchAbility.” According to
Packard, Atwood has served as the leader of Strategic
Planning for the agency since 2003 and led the agency
through its biggest growth period. His two years as Board
President were marked by record-setting growth for
LaunchAbility.
“Along with his leadership and counsel to the agency, Roy championed LaunchAbility’s cause at his own
firm and encouraged Jones Day to hire an employee with
disabilities,” added Packard. “This employee has been with
the firm for more than three
years and according to Roy, she is a shining example of how one hire
can change the lives of everyone she comes in contact with
at the firm.”
Past award recipients
include Randy Lewis, Ruth Altshuler, Todd Wagner, Robert G.
Pollock, Nancy Ann Hunt, Robert L. Blumenthal, Ruth Golman,
Jim Hanophy, MS, CRC. and former LaunchAbility presidents of
the Board of Trustees.
Sponsorships and underwriting
for the 10th Annual A Special Evening with Willie
Nelson hosted by Alliance Data are available and begin at
$500 for a party of two. Tickets for the concert are open to
the public and range from $45 to $175 and can be purchased
by visiting the web site at
http://www.LaunchAbility.org .
Laura Johnson and Wendy Messmann are the event
chairs. Laura and Ellison Hurt, along with Stacey and
Nicholas McCord, are honorary chairs.
For more information contact Deborah Montonen,
CFRE, at (972) 991-6777 ext. 7121
deborahm@LaunchAbility.org Fax: 972-991-6361 or visit
www.LaunchAbility.org Address: 4350 Sigma, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75244-4416.
Important Facts:
Over the past 10 years A Special Evening has raised nearly
$2 million and allowed LaunchAbility® to continually expand
our programs. We are setting new growth records every year
and we continue to gain state and national recognition for
our innovative programming and training. The proceeds from A
Special Evening directly benefit LaunchAbility’s Supported
Employment (SE), Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
programs, Child Care Champions™ and LaunchAbility’s newest
program The LaunchAbility Academy located at UT Southwestern
Medical Center.
Our ECI program provides teams of therapists and specialists
to work with babies and toddlers with developmental
disabilities and delays to give them a greater chance for
success in school.
SE helps capable people with cognitive disabilities (such as
Down syndrome, Cerebral palsy and Autism) train for, find
and keep good jobs.
Child Care Champions™ supports and provides training to
child care professionals in their vital roles as they engage
with children of all types of abilities.
Officially launched November 1, 2010, The LaunchAbility
Academy located at UT Southwestern Medical Center is a
ground-breaking training program that gives adults with
disabilities the opportunity to build careers in healthcare.
This groundbreaking program is a collaborative effort with
LaunchAbility, Texas Department of Assistive and
Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and UT Southwestern Medical
Center.