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Todd introduced our first guest speaker, Natalie Robinson. Natalie is the Clinical Services Manager of Autism at KidsAbility. Age 3 is the prime time to start working with autistic children and the majority of those who come to KidsAbility for help are usually around 5-6 years of age. Autism is a neurological spectrum disorder. The effects are wide ranging but essentially affect 3 major areas of a person's life - social, communication and behavior. The overall cause of Autism in unknown but there appears to be both environmental and genetic factors involved. Natalie opened the floor to questions and shared some wonderful success stories. President Jim McP presented a cheque in the amount of $15,000 to Heather Curran and Natalie Robinson, on behalf of KidsAbility. Yeah! Next on the roster of speakers was our very own Dean Barreca who was introduced by Paul T. Dean started us off on the edge ... of the CN Tower. Yes, Dean is a fellow Edgewalker as well as an avid curler and VERY well-seasoned traveler. Dean grandparents (on his father's side)came from Sicily. They landed near New York City (Ellis Island) and found their way to Toronto. Dean's father was the youngest of 11 children. He served in WWII and had a very entrepreneurial spirit. After buiding a hotel in Jamaica, Dean's father stayed on to manage it while his mother raised Dean and his 5 siblings in Toronto. Dean and his sibs (and their pet cat!) modeled and did TV commercials to help pay bills. Dean's parents divorced when he was 10, at which time his father decided to go to university and then became a RC priest. Dean's path is as interesting and varied as his father's. Dean played trumpet in high school and, at the age of 19, joined a group of missionaries known as the Celebrant Singers. Dean travelled around the globe with this group for 3 years. Dean met Mother Theresa and travelled to India 10 times between 1980 and 1986. It was during this time that he built a recording studio in India and worked with teens with addiction issues. Dean later ran a Youth Centre in California (there's a story about a VW Bug that you'll have to ask him to share if you weren't there for his talk). Dean has produced, directed and conducted musicals and also co-hosted and fundraised for a TV program called "Food for Life." Dean has 2 sons an 1 daughter who also ended up modeling as children during a time when Dean owned Delta Impressions (children's wear). In 2006, Dean decided to further pursue his passion for travel by becoming a Travel Experience Consultant. Dean remarried in 2010. His wife Olga has two daughters and both she and Dean enjoy their blended family of 5 children. Dean has been on over 35 cruises and has travelled all over the globe to places including Australia, Bora Bora, Africa, Alaska, Thailand, the Seychelles, Italy, the Greek Islands and, most recently, Machu Picchu. Dean and Olga left Milton in 2014. They live in Hespeler with their dog Milo. Great job sharing more about you, Dean! |
