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"I like for the children to look up to me and I‘ve gotâ€" ten to know a lot of the parâ€" Each year she gets two weeks of vacation from her job, spending one at KidsAbility‘s Arts Express Camp, helping kids with disâ€" abilities. They pass the days dancing, swimming and playing on the outdoor equipment. Her job is more flexible than Steve‘s, so she can do more volunteer work than him, she said. w 5 £ sCouyr § By Jen 2 _ for w th Now she works 40 hours a week at an M & M Meat Shops location, taking orders, stocking shelves and waiting on customers â€" her favourite part of the job. The therapists Helpcd to strengthen her legs, allowing her to walk better, she said. Tanya, 27, began receivâ€" ing speech and physiotheraâ€" py for her cerebral palsy at KidsAbility at the age of two. "She‘s an inspiration to me in that she showed me what voluntecrism can realâ€" ly do. not only for other peoâ€" ple, but for yourself too," he said. "It‘s a very rewarding experience." The other reason is his wife, Tanya, who is also a KidsAbility alumnus. That‘s one of the reasons he devotes so much of his time to helping the centre. "You think about all the excellent things that people did to help you get to where you are now," said Hendry, who has cerebral palsy. These kids make him think back to the days when he received therapy for his physical and speech chalâ€" lenges at the facility, then called the Rotary Children‘s Centre. en 33â€"yearâ€"old W:lcvc Hendry walks through the halls of KidsAbility Centre for Child Development on Hallmark Drive, he sees himself in the faces of the children there. Couple shares passion for helping-children with disabilities ‘Living examples‘ By Jennirer Ormston For the Chronicle . 50 Victoria Street N., Kitchener + 570â€"2722 _ Canada‘s largest retail flooring chain! Today, many children are on waiting lists for service at KidsAbility. Since the govâ€" ernment can‘t completely fund the centre, it‘s the comâ€" munity‘s duty to step in, he said. He said he chooses to work with the foundation because he knows the treatâ€" ment he received as a child was costly. Steve â€" who works as a mortgage servicing specialâ€" ist at MCAP Service Corp. â€" primarily volunteers for the centre‘s foundation, which holds an annual fundraising campaign and builds an endowment fund that help finance the centre, accordâ€" ing to its website. ents, so I give them advice and hopefully their kids can grow up to be as good as Steve and I are," she said. Steve and Tanya Hendry enjoy helping out at the KidsAbility Centre for Child Development, the same place they received Nn e oi ns help when they were children "So I always ask myself, LIFESTYLE He has given speeches and been the master of cereâ€" monies at many foundation events. And he recently spoke onâ€"air at the centre‘s radiothon. When Steve is asked to volunteer at an event, he jumps in wholeheartedly, said Lisa Talbot, the execuâ€" tive director of the KidsAbilâ€" ity centre. what can I do to help?" "She‘s an inspiration to me in that she showed me what volunteerism can really do..." "He has an extremely â€" Steve Hendry volunteer of Runners . . . Not Just End Rolls * Carpet «* Berbers + Laminate * Ceramic * Hardwood susMiTTEO Proto The Area‘s LARGEST Selection Running around the house are their two cats, Missy and "Mrs. Activity" Willow, who Steve said are The signatures of those guests are on the matting around a large framed photo of the couple that hangs on a wall in their Kitchener home. _ They dated for three years before getting married in a traditional Catholicâ€"Italâ€" ian ceremony, surrounded by 364 of their closest family and friends. He thought, "Jeez, she‘s pretty cute. I‘ve got to go and talk to her." They were at the birthday party of a mutual friend when Steve saw Tanya sitâ€" ting by herself. Despite popular belief, Tanya and Steve did not meet at KidsAbility. Instead, their first encounter was in 2000 at the Silver Spur, a bar in uptown Waterloo. "It‘s our chance to say, it is possible. Dream big and you‘ll be fine," said Steve. This event is an opportuâ€" nity for them to let the teens know they really can accomplish a lot. The teenage years are difficult for everyone, even "ableâ€"bodied" kids, but it‘s an especially trying time for those with challenges, he said. The Hendrys are looking forward to participating in an upcoming teen night at KidsAbility‘s Cambridge location, where they will mentor disabled teens, Steve said. "They‘re great role modâ€" els of what you can be if you put your mind to it. They‘re living examples of the good work done at KidsAbility each and everyday." Tanya and Steve are the kind of people who would give the shirts off their backs if asked, she said. positive attitude and outâ€" look on life, and it‘s contaâ€" gious," Talbot said. Continued on page 16 The event is free to the puhhc and no GST will be charged on purchases. p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. â€" Cash, cheques, MasterCard, Visa and Interac are all acceptable methods of payments. There will be more than 60 participating potters offering a huge selection of work for that special gift, or that oneâ€"ofâ€"aâ€"kind item, just in time for Mother‘s Day. The popular biâ€"annual Waterloo Potters Workshop sale will be held this weekend at the Waterloo Memorâ€" ial Recreation Complex. Tours will also be available for the Waterloo Regional Curatorial Centre artifact storage and conâ€" servation laboratories. A living museum of rural Waterloo County will also be open and staffed. Admission for the day is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages five to 12. Children four and under are free. Waterloo potters hold & annual spring sale The event, which will also feature sheepdog and horse driving demonstrations, will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Remember to come dressed in the approâ€" priate barn apparel. Doon Heritage Crossroads will be featuring over 25 varieties of heritage and rare breed farm animals this Sunday. Speakers will include Hart Wiens, director of trans lation for the society, and soloist Leroy Soper. To reserve tickets, call 576â€"5127 or 743â€"4678. The annual dinner meeting of the Canadian Bible Society‘s South Central Ontario District and Kitchenâ€" erâ€"Waterloo branch will be held May 2 at 6 p.m., at First United Church at King and William streets in Waterloo. â€" If you would like to take part or have any questions, email fun_draisingâ€"withâ€"kim@hotmail.com or leave a message for Mary] at 884â€"6600. This year‘s show will feature awardâ€"winning Elvis impersonator Dan Graner. ROOF (Reaching Our Outdoor Friends) will be holding its third annual Raising the ROOF fundraiser talent show this Friday at the All Saints Anglican church. The show is suitable for all ages, and donations for ROOF will be accepted. The sale goes from 1â€"9 p.m. on Friday, 10 Get a feel for farm life this Sunday at museum Elvis ready to raise the ROOF during fundraiser Canadian Bible Society to hold annual meeting a.m