$1,000,000 Challenge Grant and New Fund Announced At

Inaugural Down Syndrome Educational Symposium Reception

Anna and John J. Sie, Denver residents and co-trustees of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, announced Friday, March 24, 2006, the formation of The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund. The aim of the Fund is to raise $1,000,000 over the next few months to implement programs that will begin to make a difference in the lives of the more than 5,000 Coloradans with Down syndrome and their families. The Anna and John J. Sie Foundation will match up to $500,000 toward that aim.

The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund is a donor advised Fund of the Denver Foundation, and is the first of its kind that will specifically seek to partner and create programs that enhance the lives of people with Down syndrome from early childhood to adulthood.

Mayor John Hickenlooper, on hand at the announcement of the Fund said, "This is an excellent opportunity for our community. Everyone in our region supports the goal of helping local families receive the best possible educational resources for children with special needs, and the Sies are generously providing a vehicle for Coloradans to make a difference."

Local families and businesses can help to create these vital new programs in our community by contributing directly to The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund.

"Our hope is that the community will meet our challenge and contribute at least $500,000 so that our Foundation can match that amount and our $1,000,000 goal will be met," explained John J. Sie, co-founder of the Fund.

"Educational, social and work program funding is extremely important in terms of enhancing the lives of people with Down syndrome," Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation said. "The increase of 20 points in 15 years in the IQ among people with Down syndrome is attributed to improved home and mainstream school opportunities and the breakdown of the institutionalized system for people with disabilities. However, there are no regular educational programs specifically geared towards people with Down syndrome and much more work needs to be done."

More than 5,000 Coloradans and 350,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome. The Anna and John J. Sie Foundation's goal is to make Colorado the best place for people with Down syndrome to live. The establishment of this Fund and this challenge grant is the first step towards achieving this goal. Ultimately, Colorado will serve as a template for other states, regions or even countries in terms of successfully tackling issues related to Down syndrome and will become a model to enhance the lives of other marginalized and underserved populations.

The first initiative of the new Fund included hosting an educational symposium series with Dr. William I. Cohen, one of the nation's leading Down syndrome experts and Chairman of the National Down Syndrome Society Clinical Advisory Committee. The demand for this type of educational resource in Colorado was demonstrated with over 350 people registering to attend the inaugural symposium.

Some of the other important programs The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund hopes to develop include training classes for new parents, tutoring support and extracurricular activities for children with Down syndrome, adult higher education opportunities and life skills education, and professional training for doctors, nurses, educators and therapists servicing and dealing with people with Down syndrome.

Excited about supporting the Fund, David Miller, President and CEO of The Denver Foundation said, "We do a lot to help the community, Colorado's children, and marginalized populations and we are proud to be part of this initial step towards creating educational programs and services that have, until now, not been available locally."

The Denver Foundation is a Community Foundation whose mission is to improve life in Metro Denver through philanthropy, leadership and strengthening the community. Last year, the Denver Foundation awarded more than $27,000,000 through 3,500 grants.

For more information or to make a donation, please call Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and Executive of The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund at 303-468-6666, or Betsy Mangone, Vice President of The Philanthropic Services Group at the Denver Foundation at 720-974-2610. All donations are fully tax-deductible.