Specially Gifted Foundation (SGF) started off 2024 by celebrating our four year anniversary as we embarked upon our fifth year as a Georgia non-profit organization. Now looking back on 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the relationships and partnerships we built that made SGF’s impact in 2024 possible. Before we recap last year’s success, we want to shine a light on our mission and the families we serve.
“At Specially Gifted Foundation, we believe that children with disabilities deserve to be loved and valued as equals in our society. We respect the unique journey that each of their families face and are dedicated to enriching their lives by providing them with a special gift or opportunity, beneficial resources, and a sense of community.”
Specially Gifted Foundation’s 2024 Giftings
In 2024, SGF welcomed 10 new Gifted Families to our program. Each family had unique needs, from fenced yards to Disney trips. We provided items not typically covered by insurance, such as adaptive bicycles, activity chairs, and handicap accessible vans. By letting families choose their own gifts, we served them in the most meaningful way possible. The diversity of these gifts reflects our commitment to meeting each family’s specific needs. Read our full recap blog post below for their stories.
Meet all 10 families of 2024 and learn more about their stories here!
Before we move on to the next part of our mission’s impact in 2024, take a moment to watch this heartwarming video of SGF kiddo Ryan seeing his new fenced-in play area for the first time. It’s shared moments like this that help paint a picture of what our mission means to the families we serve.
To some, it’s a backyard fence, but to Ryan and his mom, it’s so much more than that. This gift provides relief to a mother who wants to provide only the best for her child without hindering him from enjoying some of his favorite parts of life. For Ryan, it’s an outlet and new world of possibilities driven by his imagination and love for the outdoors.
SGF Resources: Beneficial Connections
Each year, SGF continues to expand our resource-focused blog posts. One of the great things about this function of our mission is that it not only serves our Gifted Families but also an entire community of individuals and families caring for children with disabilities.
Below are some great examples of top blog posts from previous years:
How To Support Siblings of Children with Disabilities
10 Resources for Parents Caring for Children with Disabilities
Starting School Guide for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Disability-Friendly Vacation Destinations
In 2024, we had the opportunity to add more beneficial resources to our blog, including seasonal-related events and a resourceful interview covering the impacts of synthetic dyes.
These blog opportunities include the following:
Impacts of Synthetic Dyes: Interview with Whitney Cawood
Brandon and Whitney Cawood both wear many hats in the background of To Dye For: The Documentary, an informative documentary that serves as a resource on the impacts of synthetic dyes. During an interview with Whitney, Co-Director, Casting Director, Production Manager, and researcher, SGF had the pleasure of sharing details with our community about this incredible resource as they were nearing the final stages of having a finished film.
Now, everyone has the opportunity to watch this documentary that hosts a wealth of resources, interviews, research, and experiences.
Watch To Dye For: The Documentary
This interview serves as a resource for everyone. However, our focus when requesting the interview was on how this documentary and the research would have an effect on the families we serve, including those outside of our Gifted Families.
Many children with disabilities are medication dependent and don’t have an alternative to current medications that include synthetic dyes.
We first connected with Brandon and Whitney during a call about a previous year’s gala. This connection has continued to grow as we have each supported one another’s initiatives to better serve a common community.
NEW SGF Website Goes Live
Going into 2024, our team knew that updating our website would need to be a top priority. We all adored our previous site, but as our mission had grown over the years, we needed that to be reflected in our digital home.
The overarching goal was to:
→ Ensure SGF’s mission was represented in the best way
→ Show our community the impact we have made together since SGF was founded in 2020
→ Invite and encourage others to get involved in what SGF is building
Thankfully, we were able to rely on SGF Co-founder Macey’s background in website development and design. Being able to utilize her experience and skill set made this project possible while also saving us a lot of money.
When you visit our website, we want it to be clear what it means to give back to SGF. Our mission is more than special gifts and opportunities, and we wanted the other two crucial functions of our mission to be recognized.
One of the new components of our website we were eager to share is the Gifted Families Portal. This feature makes it easier for our Gifted Families to login to our new SGFGifted Families Community Group.
We also took this opportunity to better organize our blogs, including resource-focused posts, for a more efficient and user-friendly experience.
Whether you want to get involved in our mission, learn more about the need that our mission addresses, read stories from our Gifted Families, explore beneficial resources, apply to receive a gift, or refer a family for our program, you can now do all of these things with ease.
SGF Connects with North Georgia Autism Center and Academy ABA
Our 2024 Spring in the Valley Festival welcomed North Georgia Autism Center and Academy ABA to our set of resource and nonprofit vendors. Following the event, we connected with both organizations separately to discuss ways to further support our mission while also providing ways SGF can benefit the families and children they serve.
Connections like these are what leads to more families being referred to our program by therapists, which we love to see. Therapists are often some of the first sources parents turn to when seeking ways to better help their children, especially when it pertains to eligible programs and services that serve their community.
After speaking with Michelle Burger-Rains, Director of Assessment and Staff Development at Academy ABA, she was interested in being a part of the annual Trick or Treat Halloween event for individuals and families with special needs hosted by The Sweet Cocoon.
SGF has partnered with The Sweet Cocoon for this community event every year, and we were so excited to help Michelle get Academy ABA involved.
These partnerships provide a long-lasting impact. We serve the same community, so we love every opportunity to collaborate with other agencies like these to generate new ideas on how to serve together while also developing new resources.
SGF Community: Fostering + Building Relationships
What does it look like to build a sense of community? A LOT. This element of our mission encompasses a wide range of events, activities, partnerships, and more. Some aspects might look different each year, but that’s because the needs of the community we serve are always changing and growing.
From hosting a SGF Mom’s Coffee Date and SGF Family Day Photoshoot, to developing a kid’s game booth dedicated to ensuring kids of all abilities can enjoy one of our favorite annual community events, this wholesome part of our mission is highly valued by our families.
Spring in the Valley Festival: SGF Kids Game Booth
Spring in the Valley Festival (SIV) has become the biggest and best SGF community event. This annual event is packed with fun activities for everyone, no matter their age or abilities.
This fundraising event has continued to evolve as a key part of our program, as it provides inclusive experiences for the families of children with disabilities, strengthens community connections, and also supports SGF’s year-round initiatives.
Amongst the vendors, games, food trucks, and many other attractions, our SGF Kids Game Booth is one of the things that really sets this event apart from the rest.
Coordinated and run by Emily, SGF Board Member and SLP-CCC, and Ashley, Occupational Therapist Assistant and blog contributor, this booth makes it possible for typical children to play alongside children with disabilities.
Emily and Ashley are also members of our SGF Fundraising Committee and volunteer a great deal of their time and expertise into making this booth an asset to our community.
The idea around this booth was not only to ensure inclusiveness in our festivities. By developing activities and crafts for children of all abilities to participate in, we are helping to foster connections and bridge those gaps by creating situations they may not be exposed to outside of events such as SIV.
Our list of activities is always growing. Here’s a few activities that we have added over the years:
→ Painting activities, including sponge and hand painting
→ Bubbles and sidewalk chalk games
→ Sand and water tables
→ Parachute play
→ Sensory focused play and activities
→ Quiet corner for an easy and calming escape
A new addition to 2024’s booth was our tie-dye station. This activity was inspired by our theme, Peace, Love, and SGF, and World Down Syndrome Day (WDS). Children had the opportunity to show their creative side and design their own tie dye socks to take home with them. We encouraged those that took home their socks to wear them on WSD, March 21, 2025, and tag SIV in their social media posts.
This entire event has an impact on our community, from the attractions to the growing amount of nonprofit vendors present to share vital resources with families.
We have met several families at SIV that later become Gifted Families, and this event also makes it possible for our Gifted Families to bring all of their kiddos.
Spring in the Valley Festival is for the whole family and is designed to build community, foster relationships, and spread awareness for SGF’s mission.
SGF Gifted Families Community Group
The launch of the SGF Gifted Families Community Group is another way SGF’s mission will have a long-lasting and profound impact on the families we serve. This private digital platform provides a space for parents to connect with others who understand the unique challenges and joys of caring for children with disabilities.
Through this group, families are able to share resources, offer support, and build relationships with other SGF parents and caregivers. The growing sense of community is a goal our team will remain committed to, and additions such as this platform will help our Gifted Families foster connections outside of SGF events and programs.
Why did we build this space? Because the families we serve expressed a desire to connect with other families. Facebook and other social media platforms offer great ways to do this through private and public groups, but not all of our families are on social media.
SGF’s Gifted Families Community Group was our proposed solution, and although it is still developing and growing as we add new members, several of our families have already expressed gratitude for having access to this dedicated space.
Frios Gourmet Pops of Rome, GA Celebrates SGF Kiddo’s Birthday
Planning a birthday party for a child with disabilities presents unique challenges, from venue selection to activities. In 2024, Frios Gourmet Pops reached out, wanting to help celebrate one of our SGF kiddos’ birthdays. They selected Parker, donating their time and a $100 credit (20 gourmet pops), plus a surprise birthday gift.
Parker’s mom Casey created a colorful “Create & Celebrate” themed party featuring a painting station where kids could paint canvases to take home. The bright, colorful celebration perfectly matched Parker’s personality, with Frios pops adding the perfect touch to this summer party.
We’re grateful to Frios for supporting our mission and bringing extra joy to this special family!
The Sweet Cocoon’s Annual Special Needs Halloween Trick or Treat Event
In 2022, SGF met with Amanda, owner of The Sweet Cocoon to discuss the ways our organizations could better serve our community.
This collaboration led to an inclusive Halloween event in Rome, Georgia dedicated to providing families and individuals with disabilities a safe space to enjoy trick or treating and other Halloween activities. Three years later and we are in awe of how much this annual community event has grown.
SGF Co-founder Macey and her family have enjoyed hosting the SGF booth all three years. They go all in, too, dressed in costume and fully in character. For the 2024 Trick or Treat for Our Friends with Special Needs, Macey and her family dressed as Beauty and The Beast characters.
In addition to traditional candies, there are safe alternatives for those who cannot have candy, such as a variety of sensory items. Our delicious food vendor partner, Vamos Tacos, and Sweet Frog were also there offering treats for everyone.
This community event is one of Macey’s favorites to participate in. She has also had the opportunity to connect with other nonprofit organizations, Gifted Families and potential families, and build resourceful relationships.
The Sweet Cocoon is also a wonderful venue for hosting birthday parties and gatherings when you need a private option that is also designed specifically for families and individuals with disabilities.
Gifted Families Visit DeSoto Dino-Light Show
SGF is always looking for different ways to benefit our families, including tickets to shows, other events, and even the circus. In October 2024, we connected with DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia about tickets to the Dino-Light show.
This innovative production follows the journey of a dinosaur brought to life by a magical scientist. As the dinosaur explores a vibrant world filled with glowing creatures, he learns valuable lessons about love and friendship. Audience members are captivated by the unique combination of puppetry, technology, and dance that brings this glowing adventure to life on stage.
We were overjoyed when presented with the chance to provide local families with free tickets including a VIP experience. DeSoto ensured that all of our families in attendance were seated in the same section, including wheelchair accessible seating.
Our families loved the show and their kiddos were surprised when they were gifted a small dinosaur puppet to take home with them.
This is not the first time we have received donated tickets from DeSoto, and we are always grateful for their generosity. Thank you, again, DeSoto Theatre and everyone involved in this entertaining light show!
Making Our Mission Possible in 2024
From SGF-hosted events and events benefiting SGF, to campaigns and impactful donors, 2024’s success is credited to everyone who chose SGF.
Whether they were a SGF team, board, or fundraising committee member, volunteer, sponsor, vendor, or supporter sharing our social media posts, when they chose SGF – it mattered!
The amount of effort, care, intentionality, and love everyone poured back into our mission last year made it our best year yet.
Let’s recap some of the key events and moments of 2024 that made it all possible…
Spring in the Valley Festival 2024 Sponsored by Relentless Chiropractic
With over 1,500 in attendance at our Fourth Annual Spring in the Valley Festival, this was our biggest SGF event to date. Every year, SIV brings people from all walks of life together to celebrate SGF’s mission and build community.
Who knew we could all have so much fun doing it though?
Our theme was Peace, Love, and SGF, which was influenced by our 2024 SIV t-shirt design. Each year, we choose a family previously gifted from SIV as our artist. For this event, we chose Micah and his family to be the creative designers behind our t-shirt.
Micah collaborated with his sister and together they created a message of love, joy, and inclusivity – all in one image.
This theme brought so much color and fun to the event and atmosphere, even our vendors enjoyed incorporating the theme into their booths.
Speaking of color, SIV 2024 featured its very own student art show curated by the Children’s Museum of Rome. Children’s Museum of Rome is a nonprofit dedicated to providing a hands-on, interactive learning environment for families to explore, learn, and grow together.
SGF is grateful to their incredible team for planning and hosting this art show, making it possible to promote young, local artists within our community.
Spring in the Valley Festival stands as both a cornerstone community event and a vital component of SGF’s program. While we prioritize inclusivity through diverse attractions—from shopping vendors and car shows to inflatables, rock climbing, live music, hoverball archery, and our signature SGF Kids Game booth—this event serves an equally important purpose as a fundraiser.
The proceeds raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, vendor fees, and donations directly enable us to gift TWO families in Northwest Georgia each year. This dual purpose makes SIV not just a day of fun, but a fundamental element of how we fulfill our mission.
SIV 2024 made it possible for SGF to welcome Serenity and Laithen along with their families as Gifted Families.
In addition to a growing show of attendance at 2024’s SIV, we also had the largest group of volunteers we’ve ever had at any event. Running an event like SIV is a lot of work and has countless moving parts to bring it all together.
Amongst these incredible people that donated their time, skills, and labor of love to SIV were friends, family, team members from participating nonprofits, Leadership of Rome, Floyd Springs Baptist Church, Advance for Kids, and many more.
Words cannot express our gratitude for their hard work, but Truett’s Chick-fil-A and Coca-Cola of Rome helped us show appreciation by donating chicken sandwiches and beverages for our volunteers.
We can’t wrap up this incredible event without mentioning two key players.
First, thank you to Relentless Chiropractic for being our presenting sponsor TWO years in a row! Dr. Sean and his team played a huge role in making this event possible. Not only does Relentless Chiropractic sponsor and support SIV, but they are also advocates for our mission.
Next up is our lovely friends down at Automax of Rome. Blake Alvey and his team at Automax have not only sponsored our SIV Car and Bike Show three years in a row, but they also coordinate the entire thing. 2024’s show included over 40 participants, so when we say we appreciate them taking the lead on this part of SIV, we truly mean it!
Learn more about SIV’s impact by reading our post-event blog post, Spring in the Valley 2024: Recap and Highlights.
Want to join in on the fun this year?
Join us on Saturday, April 26th from 10am to 3pm at Coosa Valley Fairgrounds in Rome, Georgia.
Specially Gifted Golf Tournament Sponsored by Amwins
Our Third Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament brought together golf enthusiasts and hobbyists to tee off for a worthy cause, and to have a good time while doing so.
Sponsored by Amwins for the third year in a row, this tournament makes it possible to carrying out all THREE components of SGF’s mission.
It may be a golf tournament, but the outcome is far more impactful than even the greatest and longest drive.
2024’s Specially Gifted Golf Tournament was located in the heart of Roswell, Georgia at Horseshoe Bend Country Club. This premier golf course is known for its remarkable beauty and challenging fairways. It was an honor to hold this tournament on this course and provide a unique golfing experience for players of all skill levels.
We owe a special thanks to Amwins and their team for sponsoring the event and volunteering to ensure the tournament was a smooth success.
Amwins has been a powerhouse of support for SGF’s mission from the beginning. They not only sponsor our annual golf tournament, but also support and sponsor other events and campaigns such as our gala and Giving Tuesday campaigns.
Stay tuned for details for our 2025 Specially Gifted Golf Tournament!
Specially Gifted Gatsby Gala
What better way to celebrate 5 years of impact than a gatsby themed gala? That’s exactly what our Specially Gifted Gatsby Gala was – a celebration. It was also our last gala until 2029!
That meant we had to go all out, and we did.
As guests arrived at Glover Park Brewery in Marietta, Georgia on November 9th, they were transported to a world of speakeasy charm at the Specially Gifted Pizzeria entrance. From the pizzeria themed decor to the delicious pizza provided by Marietta Pizza Co., the speakeasy vibe was authentic.
Up next was the unveiling of the real event as flapper girls drew back the curtains, opening up to a 1920s gatsby scene no one could deny. Guests were welcomed by a martini girl in a giant martini glass dancing to the soulful sounds of the full live jazz band.
The magic of the roaring twenties danced through the room.
Guests had plenty of entertainment, including:
→ Photo booth to capture memories from the night
→ Casino tables where they could mingle and try their luck at blackjack, roulette, and craps
→ Raffle tickets with chances to win prizes from Haywood Harvest, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and more
→ Silent auction featuring countless collector’s items to bid on
→ Shop Kenda Scott’s booth with 20% of their purchase going back to SGF
With all of the celebrating, entertainment, and networking, we made sure to treat our guests with delectable hors d’oeuvres and specially crafted cocktails. They even had the chance to sample unique blood mary shots, thanks to Southern Roots.
A major moment of the night was SGF highlighting Mai Lee with our first honoree award. Mai Lee is the owner of Advance for Kids, a private, therapist-owned, outpatient rehabilitation clinic with two NWGA locations since 2003.
Mai Lee is the epitome of advocacy for families and individuals with disabilities, with three decades of experience and service. Her commitment to the community was celebrated with a special award and heartfelt speech, inspiring everyone to come together and bridge the gap between individuals with and without disabilities.
Want to relive this night? Check out our Gala recap blog post here!
Giving Tuesday 2024: A Mother’s Promise
Giving Tuesday is a global day to recognize the importance of giving back with opportunities to make a difference.
Each year, SGF chooses an applicant family for our Giving Tuesday Campaign. This presents our donors with the chance to see the direct impact they are making when choosing SGF for this special day of giving.
Our 2024 campaign was inspired by a mother who had made a promise to always provide for her daughter and never quit fighting for her.
Zariyah’s mother’s promise led them to becoming our first family gifted from Giving Tuesday. Her journey has been one of immense challenges and incredible triumphs.
Her mother calls her a miracle because she has defied all the odds against her, starting at birth.
Zariyah’s mother had already raised crucial funds towards purchasing an adaptive tricycle from Freedom Concepts, but was still in need of just over $3,000.
Thanks to nineteen generous donors, we raised $4,685 of our $5,000 Giving Tuesday goal.
This not only made it possible to gift Zariyah and her family, but we were also able to apply the rest of the funds toward gifting our last family of 2024, Hayden and her family.
Both Giving Tuesday families requested and were gifted a Freedom Concepts adaptive tricycle. When most parents think about buying a tricycle, they go to a local store and expect to spend anywhere from $100 to a few hundred dollars.
When families are in need of an adaptive tricycle for their child with disabilities, they are looking at $4,000 to $7,000.
Unfortunately, these types of therapeutic equipment are not covered by insurance.
We are very grateful to everyone who chose SGF for Giving Tuesday, making these special giftings possible.
Kendra Scott Gives Back TWICE
SGF is honored to have participated in Kendra Gives Back at different locations in the last few years. Earlier in 2024, Kendra Scott of Avalon reached out to us about hosting SGF in honor of International Women’s Day.
During the event, SGF team member Andrea was present in the store for a couple of hours to meet with shoppers and share SGF. During this time frame, all shoppers that mentioned SGF at checkout would have 20% of their purchase donated directly back to SGF.
Additionally, online shoppers who used a promo code the day of the event had 20% of their purchases donated to SGF as well.
This Kendra Gives Back event raised $449 for SGF!
Next up was when Kendra Scott East Cobb joined us at our Specially Gifted Gatsby Gala, setting up a mobile booth where guests could shop their exquisite jewelry collection. As with all Kendra Gives Back events, 20% of their purchases were donated to SGF, helping us to raise more money for our cause.
Lapham-Hickey Steel in Rome, GA Gives Back to SGF
Last summer, Ashley Elrod, SGF Fundraising Committee member and volunteer, nominated SGF to receive a donation from Lapham-Hickey Steel in Rome, Georgia. Each year, they submit a nonprofit for the program, and in November, we found out that SGF was chosen as the recipient for 2024.
Lapham-Hickey Steel donated $15,000 to SGF!
Ashley found out about this opportunity because her dad, Kenny, works at the Rome location. She and her family have been long-time supporters of SGF. In addition to being a fundraising committee member and volunteer, Ashley’s profession as an Occupational Therapy Assistant has become an asset to the Spring in the Valley Festival as she is one of the therapists who helps design and run our SGF Kids Game Booth.
Linda, Ashley’s mom, has played a huge role in getting the Floyd County Fire Department involved at SIV and Kenny, her dad, and his company have also been a supporter at our annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament.
This connection goes back to before SGF was founded. SGF Co-founder Macey and Ashley’s family grew up as next-door neighbors. What started as a young friendship, carpooling to and from school and sport functions, turned into a meaningful and professional partnership.
Being nominated to receive this generous donation was the greatest blessing and a great way to end an already impactful year.
This entire experience serves as another testament to the power of community. We are grateful to have Ashley, both of her parents, and Lapham-Hickey Steel as part of our SGF community.
A New Way to Support SGF’s Mission in 2024
After years of requests for SGF merchandise, we proudly launched Shop Specially Gifted in January 2024 to celebrate our 4-year anniversary. This online store functions as a direct extension of Specially Gifted Foundation with a powerful promise:
100% of Shop Specially Gifted’s profits support families with children with disabilities.
Our collection features stylish t-shirts, cozy sweatshirts, trendy hats, and quality tumblers—giving you multiple ways to showcase your support for SGF. Now you can spread awareness about our mission while expressing your personal style.
When you shop with us, you’re not just making a purchase—you’re making a difference. Visit Shop Specially Gifted today and turn your everyday essentials into meaningful support for the families we serve!
Celebrating Five Years of Community and Change: Specially Gifted Foundation’s Impact in 2024
As we wrapped up 2024, we reflected on each and every person, family, business, and agency that has played an integral role in our success. When the year ended, we were just a few weeks away from our official 5-year anniversary.
That’s FIVE YEARS OF IMPACT. Five years of making a difference in the lives of families caring for children with disabilities.
None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors, sponsors, volunteers, board members, fundraising committee members, and SGF team members.
This is our community, and it keeps growing!
Let’s look back again on what we built in 2024…
A special thank you to our key partners in 2024
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