A REPORT OF THE CLEVELAND STROKE CLUB SEPTEMBER 2016 Cleveland Stroke Club, c/o Geri Pitts 9284 Towpath Trail Seville, OH 44273 330-975-4320

Sept. 21, 2016 MUSIC THERAPY

by Ruby Chen, MT-BC

Department of Art and Music Therapy UH Seidman Cancer Center

The Cleveland Stroke Club was founded on the basic self-help concept. That is, stroke survivors and their families banded together to exchange coping techniques for the many stroke-related problems they experience. Except for the months of June and August, our General Meetings are held on the third Wednesdays of each month at Disciples Christian Church at 3663 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH 44121. Usually, we host Bingo at 5:30, dinner at 6:30, and a presentation by community professionals from 7:30 until 8:30. Meetings end at 8:30. In addition, our First Wed. meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month at Select Medical (formally Kindred Hospital) at 11900 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, OH 44120. We dine together at 6:30 and then usually breakout into separate meetings for caregivers and survivors from 7:30 until 8:30. Meetings end at 8:30. Please RSVP for both meetings to Kay 440-449-3309 or Deb 440-944-6794. Look for details in this newsletter. If you or a member of your family has had a stroke, we invite you to visit our meetings anytime. New members and community professionals are always welcome. Both meetings have plenty of free handicap parking and are fully wheelchair accessible. *Photo by: Rostislav Kralik at: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=135957&picture=calendar-july-2016-english

It's a matter of the Minutes

Our 42nd Anniversary Dinner August 17, 2016

Submitted by Geri Pitts and Chris Vuyancih

Board Committees:

Public Relations Chairperson Sue Sheridan

Membership and Picnic

Chairperson Kay Exl

Marketing Chairperson

Kathy Wendorff Secretary to the Board

Sue Sheridan Volunteer Coordinator

Shirley Patterson 216-751-9376

Assistant to the Board Bonnie Morris 440-552-3970

Greeters June Emmerson

Roger Gulbranson Callers

Linda Davis Joyce Levy

Shirley Patterson Linda Pfeffer Sherry Shelton

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Executive Director & Editor Emeritus

Dorothy Norton

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Geri Pitts

Founder Bill Pitts

This anniversary dinner started quietly with an open bar and good conversation in two of the ballrooms at Embassy Suites, Beachwood, OH. John Pumper took photos at our “photo booth” where we donned fancy and silly hats, etc. for cute pictures. We then sat down to wonderful meals of salad, main courses, desserts and beverages. Thanks to Molly Love, Catering Manager, her chef, bartender, and wait staff. We are much appreciative of all the care you extended to those with special diets and the attention you gave to our needs. Following the yummy meal, we had a short meeting to take care of business: we presented Lucy Conde with a certificate of appreciation and gifts for the many years she has volunteered as a caller and kitchen helper. We weren’t finished. We honored Brian and Deena Barrett with a congressional award for their years of volunteering, presented by Beverly Charles, representing Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. Geri read a few paragraphs about all of these fine people, written by Bill Pitts about five years ago. He even recognized how special Lucy, Brian and Deena were then. Thanks go to Beverly Charles for taking the time from her busy schedule to spend the evening with us. Slammin’ Sam entertained us with his singing, guitar playing, and dancing. He even was able to encourage quite a few people to get up and dance. Those who did not dance waved “dance sticks.” These were Sherwin Williams paint stirrers with ribbons laced through them by Kay Exl and her grandchildren. Kathy Wendorff thought of that idea. Through all of this, Jene Wilson (Deena and Brian’s friend) took photos to enable us to keep this evening in our memories for a long time.

President: Chris Vuyancih Vice-President:

Deena and Brian Barrett 216-410-2306 Secretary:

Barry and Barbara Schecter Treasurer:

John Pumper Assistant Treasurer:

Brian Barrett

Officers 5/2016-5/2017

Thanks to all of you for making this a very special evening to celebrate a fantastic support group. So many people contributed hours of work and organizing to make this event successful, from picking up people to get them there to waiting for Paratransit to show up to make sure everyone left safely. And there were a hundred things that people helped with in-between. Kay, Roger, Deb and Geri laid the groundwork for this night very early in the year and we’re so glad we chose the Embassy Suites to help us celebrate 42 years. See a complete set of photos on our website. Visit: https://clevelandstrokeclub.wordpress.com/annual-dinner/2016-anniversary-dinner/ ************* Welcome – it was nice to see some old friends and new ones: Alice and Ajay Ledanyi, Gay Shope, Elizabeth and Jeff Bolek, Mary Carney, Beverly Charles, Denise Colston, Sharon Covey, Cathi Ellsworth, LaWonna and Savana Higginbottom, George Jenkins, Shavonda Jones, Robin Cornett, Tamika Thomas, Michael Vuyancih, Janet Bizay, Donna Kruger, and Omeka Delamore. ************* Special Thanks! Katie Kern-Pilch and Maggie Cifra made arrangements so our members’ paintings of “Recovery” could be with us at our Anniversary Dinner. Jean Nisenboum kindly took the paintings back to Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (CHSC), where they are on-loan and spectacularly displayed on the walls of the first floor hallway. Geri Pitts and Dr. Jennell Vick, Executive Director of CHSC, worked together so that we can raise awareness and continue to be inspired by the art & grace of recovery.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Saturday, September 17, 2016 – Cleveland Heights Home Repair Resource Center presents their “BoomerFest 2016” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is a free event. Location: Senior Activity Center, Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd. (right off Mayfield). Get personal advice and contacts from experts on a variety of topics including: home repair and remodeling, health and safety, money management, consumer protection and much more. We will have an information table to tell people about our club. Friday, September 30, 2016 – MetroHealth’s Annual Stroke Conference at MetroHealth Old Brooklyn Health Center, 4229 Pearl Road, Cleveland, OH 44109 (corner of State and Pearl). 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. One keynote presentation, one physician presentation and a panel of therapists. We will have an information table to tell people about our club. Wednesday, October 19, 2016 – the Cleveland Stroke Club presents our members’ Talents and Interests Night. This will feature YOU. Share with us what you do to entertain yourself, how you spend your “free” time or what you do to relax. Tell us your story. Bring your products. New Stroke Club at UH Rehab, 23333 Harvard Road – for more information, call or email Cyndi Ladnier, RN at 216-593-2200, cladnier@uhrehab.com Cleveland Stroke Club Picnic Planning 2017. At our First Wed. Meeting in August, we broke into groups to start planning for the 2017 picnic. Here is a list of our 5 committees and the decisions that we made. We need lots of help. If you did not attend the planning meeting but would like to join a committee or help out, please let us know. We want to thank everyone, in advance, for helping out.

Location & Set-up Committee decided to hold the 2017 picnic at Disciples Christian Church inside-outside (depending upon the weather). They may try to do a trial table set-up outside in Sept. or Oct.

Grilling & Food Committee decided to grill hot dogs and hamburgers next year. They will need grills, help transporting grills, and people to help grill and serve food. Chicken lovers can bring some to share.

Games Committee decided to have Corn Hole, Horse Shoes, cards, table games, and music.

Marketing Committee decided the theme would be “lazy crazy days of summer” and they would try to sell CSC t-shirts to fund the picnic.

Clean-Up Committee decided to use table captains to help us serve and clean up after dinner to make room for table games. More to come.

SEPT.

Happy Birthday Jenny Camp (5),

Betty Fredman (5), Nancy Darling (6),

Jack Racer (8), Stephanie Burke (11), Charles DeForest (13), Roger Gulbranson (15), Shirley Patterson (15), Kathy Wendorff (20), Anna Melendez (22),

Omeka Delamore (23), Vicki Curtis (29),

Nancy Ackerman (30)

Happy Anniversary Char & Larry Grossman

(9/1/74), Bill & Sue Franko

(9/4/80), Chris & Mike Vuyancih

(9/7/91).

Get Well George Kern Dan Sekeres

Thinking of You Don Broge, Harry Davis,

Sanjay Godbole, Sandi LaRue,

Omelia Berverly, Dorothy Story.

Deepest Sympathy Adji Skerkoski

SEPT. HOLIDAYS 1 Emma M Nutt Day 5 Labor Day 5 Be Late Day 10 Swap Ideas Day 17 Apple Dumpling D. 22 Elephant Day 28 Good Neighbor D.

http://www.holidayscalendar.com/month/september/

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Next General Meeting: Wednesday, Sept 21, 2016 at Disciples Christian Church, 3663 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts., 44121.

5:15-6:15 p.m. - Bingo 6:30 p.m. - Dinner by Rita – pasta, meatballs, garlic bread, salad and dessert – cost is $5.00. Remember to bring your place settings. 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. - Ruby Chen, MT-BC, Dept. of Art & Music Therapy, UH Seidman Cancer Center

Remember Our Troops http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/ www.operationDearAbby.net www.operationuplink.org/ . (Donate a calling card.)

KEEP SMILING!

The Cleveland Stroke Club c/o Geri Pitts 9284 Towpath Trail Seville, OH 44273

Painting by Katie Kern-Pilch for the Cleveland Stroke Club

Motto suggested by Jacky & George Williamston.

We are appreciative to Disciples Christian Church and Select Medical for their support of our endeavours to meet the needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers.

NEXT MEETING: Sept. 21, 2016 Music Therapy, presented by

Ruby Chen, MT-BC, Dept. of Art & Music Therapy, UH Seidman Cancer Center

ReFocus Staff: Deb Felt, Editor Bonnie Morris, Reporter Geri Pitts, Coordinator Assembly is done by: Linda Davis, Al Lebarre, Barry Schecter, Katherine Sims, Sabrina Simmons

For More Information on the Cleveland Stroke Club visit our Website: www.clevelandstrokeclub.wordpress.com Email our Executive Director: pittsgeraldine@yahoo.com

Many of our members attend:

Speak Easy at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. For more info call:

216-231-8787 or visit: www.chsc.org/speakeasy

CHSC has generously agreed to display

the art work of our members in their main hallway.

Cleveland Stroke Club Anniversary Dinner – August 17, 2016

Cleveland Stroke Club Anniversary Dinner – August 17, 2016 For a complete set of photos, go to: https://clevelandstrokeclub.wordpress.com/annual-dinner/2016-anniversary-dinner/