DLNews Stuff:

Cindy Burreson wins Grand Prize at RAP Foundation Desert Fast Pitch Competition.

RANCHO MIRAGE– Each year, the RAP Foundation, NPO Centric, and their generous sponsors host the Desert Fast Pitch Competition. Representatives from Valley non-profits participate in an eight-week course that allows them to develop fundraising materials and ultimately emerge from the training with a three-minute pitch that each will compete with.

This year, of the 27 applicants, 12 were selected to compete at the Semi-Final Level, and the final six competed for a total of over $65,000 for their charities. Cindy Burreson, CEO of the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert, won the Grand Prize of $20,000 to help a project at the Museum that will make a notable difference in the lives of a population segment that often goes overlooked.

Burreson’s pitch celebrated that the Museum was reopening as a Certified Autism Center and noted that the prize money would be used to create tools for neurodivergent families to enhance their visits to CDMoD.

Their priority will be to build a private Low Sensory Room, which Burreson explained "is a space for caregivers to bring a child who may be experiencing a sensory meltdown. And nurture them using fidget toys, weighted blankets, and other tools that evoke calm." In addition, they will have sensory bags with noise-reducing headphones, sunglasses, and maps that also describe the type and level of stimulation of each of the Museum's exhibits. "Low Sensory Rooms and these other tools have a huge impact on whether these families will even visit a museum like ours, so we are taking it seriously. We will be a sensory-inclusive venue," said Burreson.   VIP badges will also be included in the Sensory Bags to discreetly let the Museum's Autism Certified Staff know they have a sensory need patron.  

The Children's Discovery Museum is a space that allows children to experience joy and laughter, make happy memories with their families, and forget about the grown-up problems of the world. It gives children a place to explore, imagine, learn, and express themselves in creative ways. Children's museums, in general, are famous yet neutral sources of information, attract a diverse cross-section of people and provide shared experiences through interpretative and interactive exhibits. As a result, they are uniquely positioned to help reverse stigma and discrimination. In a time when the world is faced with trauma, the presence of a strong children's Museum in the desert community will provide a safe haven to help families re-establish the normalcy of childhood.

The Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert plans to reopen in 2023 with new exhibits and programming. Community members are invited to make donations toward the Museum's reopening in 2023 with new exhibitions and programming.   All efforts are welcome. Please give today by visiting www.cdmod.org. Checks may be mailed to CDMoD 71-701 Gerald Ford Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.