RAMP's Luncheon seeks to entertain and educate a broad range of people. The desired result is for people who attend to be more aware and supportive of RAMP's mission – to promote an accessible society that allows and expects full participation by people with disabilities. The Luncheon also provides RAMP the opportunity to inform and update the community on our current efforts and successes. Past speakers include Amy Roloff from Little People Big World, Paul Templer, John Foppe, Victoria Maxwell and many more!

2012 Luncheon

The 22nd annual Changing Attitudes, Breaking Barriers Luncheon on October 4, 2012 at Cliffbreakers will feature Keynote Speaker, Author and Professional Autism Consultant, Alyson Beytien. She will be accompanied by two of her three sons who each have a different spectrum of autism. The stories that Alyson and her sons will share are guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. Alyson is a nationally known and popular speaker on autism, as well as a consultant and trainer for school systems throughout the U.S. and Canada. Alyson is a well-respected columnist for Autism Spectrum Quarterly magazine and the Behavior Specialist for the Mercy Autism Center in Dubuque, IA. She is also the author of “Autism Everyday” published by Future Horizons, Inc. She has a Masters Degree in Education specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders from the University of Kansas, Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and is completing coursework to be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). When she isn’t writing behavior plans, she plays in dirt and hoards quilt fabric. To purchase tickets, a table or to sponsor the luncheon please contact RAMP (815)968-7467.

2011 Luncheon

The 21st annual Changing Attitudes, Breaking Barriers Luncheon on October 6, 2011 at Cliffbreakers will feature keynote speaker Stevie Hopkins, Director of Awesomeness at 3E Love, the disability awareness clothing line and marketing company that he co-founded along with his sister Annie, shortly before her untimely death. When Annie created the powerful symbol, that later became the tattoo on her shoulder, little did they know it would become a phenomenon and recognized worldwide as the international symbol of acceptance. Stevie is an entrepreneur who holds two degrees from the University of Illinois. He also happens to use a wheelchair due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is the inspiration and driving force behind his social acceptance campaign which he says, “starts with something very basic…I love who I am, and it’s okay to talk to me and get to know me. I may be different but I have something to offer this world.” Stevie's mission is to teach people the 3 E’s, to embrace living life no matter the obstacles and by doing so, educate society and empower those with disabilities to love life. To purchase tickets, a table or to sponsor the luncheon please contact RAMP (815)968-7467.

2010 Luncheon

The 20th annual Changing Attitudes, Breaking Barriers Luncheon on October 7, 2010 at Cliffbreakers will feature keynote speaker Wendy Posey, author of “If You Do Nothing, You’ll Die,” a wife’s story of love, brain surgery and the heartbreaking aftermath. Wendy is an extraordinary woman who struggled to do the right thing for Eric, her 43 year old husband, and their two young children. Through Eric’s continued deterioration, Posey leaned on her extraordinary sense of humor to deal with her mother’s death, her children’s bewilderment and her own grief. Her speaking is peppered with heartfelt, laughable zingers that speak to the craziness of the moment and her determination to make sense out of an altered life. Wendy is a must see for those who have ever been a caregiver for a loved one you no longer understand or even know. To purchase tickets, a table or sponsorship click here or for more information about RAMP's luncheon please contact RAMP (815)968-7467.

2009 Luncheon

The 19th annual luncheon speaker was Harvard trained Neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor New York Times Best Selling author of My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey. You want a guided tour of the human brain? Dr.Jill did just that with an extraordinary account of the cranial hemorrhage that shut down her left brain when she was 37 years old. Jill has since recovered her mind, brain and body with her respect for the cells that make up her body, her understanding of how the brain works and the help of her amazing mother. Dr. Jill's presentation style is stippled with both appropriate humor and beautiful slides of the brain. She is a dynamic speaker who makes the subject of the human brain not only manageable, but interesting, exciting, and intellectually stimulating. Last year's luncheon was held in conjunction with Rockford Health System's Advances in Neuroscience Conference.

2008 Luncheon

The featured speaker was, Amy Roloff, better known to some as the "Mom" on TLC’s reality series, Little People Big World. The series chronicles the Roloff family on their 34-acre farm near Portland, Oregon. Between her hectic schedule and the busy lives of her four children and on-the-go husband, Amy is a working mother who also juggles being a preschool teacher, working part time at the local soccer club, speaking at engagements and volunteering. Amy will not only inspire and motivate, but give insight from a woman who has a consistent, no-nonsense approach to life which has helped her overcome obstacles, challenges and changes while living a life with faith, purpose, humor and adventure. Amy Roloff truly embodies RAMP’s belief that there are no limits to what you can do!