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Friday, June 21, 2019
6:30 PM EDT - 9:30 PM EDT
An Evening of Celebrating Disability Inclusion
Join us for an unforgettable evening of inclusion and fun for persons of all abilities at Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, Inc. (CIL’s) Celebrating Independence Gala. The event will take place on Friday, June 21st with over 150 disability advocates, supporters, donors, volunteers, staff, and clients coming together to recognize CIL’s successes of the past year and hopes for the future. The evening gives participants a window into the important work CIL does in the community for people with disabilities. In addition, we will present the Beverly Chapman Legacy Award to an individual who has worked hard to break barriers and create new opportunities for disability inclusion in Central Florida. The Celebrating Independence Gala offers an engaging program that includes a magnificent full course dinner, exciting silent auction and key raffle for a very special prize.
By joining us at the annual Celebrating Independence Gala, you are standing with our community to create opportunities for people with disabilities to live independently. We thank our many partners for making this event possible, and together we will continue to work towards making the places we live, work, and play accessible for everyone.
If you would like to reserve a room the evening of the gala, please visit www.thealfondinn.com. For your patronage a discounted room rate is available. When booking online enter in the code INDEPENDENCE in the Group Code box for a discounted room rate.
The Beverly Chapman Legacy Award
The Beverly Chapman Legacy Award is presented annually at Celebrating Independence to recognize an individual who has created opportunities for people with disabilities. Mrs. Beverly Chapman was a powerhouse advocate for people with disabilities at a time when the Americans with Disabilities did not exist. She fought tirelessly for disability rights and inclusion throughout her life. She held a weekly column in the Orlando Sentinel, worked to create an accessible tollway (E-Pass as we know it today), and nationally, helped in the passing of the ADA 25 years ago. Mrs. Chapman left the torch to us in 1993 when she passed and we continue to honor her legacy with this award.
We are proud to recognize Ms. Sylvia Longmire as the 2019 Beverly Chapman Legacy award recipient. Ms. Longmire is an accessible travel writer, travel agent, author, entrepreneur, and disability rights advocate. She is also a service-disabled US Air Force veteran, full-time wheelchair user, single mother to two amazing boys, and the former Ms. Wheelchair USA 2016.
Ms. Longmire currently owns two businesses and manages a nonprofit, travels across the country to attend and present at security conferences, and regularly gives presentations to civic groups, law enforcement agencies, and corporations on Mexico’s drug war and border security. She is also a frequent guest on major media outlets, providing interviews for CNN, MSBNC, FOX News, NBC Nightly News, and more.
For the past three years, Ms. Longmire has been traveling around the world – usually alone – and writes about the accessibility of her destinations for her award-winning accessible travel blog, Spin the Globe. She is also a licensed travel agent and specializes in making accessible travel arrangements for wheelchair users through her agency, Spin the Globe/Travel.
The CIL Champion Award is presented to an organization that makes a conscious effort to ensure things are accessible for those with disabilities. An organization that not only creates opportunities for those with disabilities, but sets individuals up for success and empowers those with disabilities to live independent lives.
We are thrilled to announce the presentation of this year’s Champion Award to KMI International, a company who is passionate about giving back and recently established KMICares a way that their company and its employees can continue to make an impact here in Central Florida.
Alfond Inn
300 E New England Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
Friday, June 21, 2019
6:30 PM EDT - 9:30 PM EDT
Alfond Inn
300 E New England Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
Friday, June 21, 2019
6:30 PM EDT - 9:30 PM EDT
Alfond Inn
300 E New England Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789