TWENTYWONDER Performances Announced for 5th Annual Fundraiser at Doll Factory, 6/28

Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA) announced today, the talent and attraction lineup for the 5th Annual TWENTYWONDER, A Carnival of the Mind, a 21 and older fundraising event presented and benefitting DSALA. Hosted for the fourth year in a row by the Los Angeles Derby Dolls, TWENTYWONDER, will be held on Saturday, June 28 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Doll Factory (1910 West Temple Street) in Los Angeles. Tickets are now on sale at TwentyWonder.org.

The 5th Annual TWENTYWONDER event will feature performances and attractions by:

Two Bit Circus
Los Angeles Derby Dolls - Varsity Brawlers vs. the Sirens
Dengue Fever
Phillip Solomon's Cirque Stage
Jacksh*t
Lucha VaVoom
HR Puff n Stuff
Lampshades
Creature Features
Tim Biskup and Friends
Friends with You
Brad Oldham
Eban Schletter - The Eban Schletter Hour
Thomas Lanigan Schmidt
Astrophysicists from Caltech and planetary scientists from iPLEX (UCLA's Institute for Planets and Exoplanets)
Joey Cheezee
Jamie Brewer
Dr. William Mobley's UC San Diego Dept. of Neurosciences, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior (CNCB)
Matt Hoffman
Moth StorySLAM champion Vikki Kelleher
Lucent Dossier
and others to be announced.

"WOW...I can hardly believe we are about to mount the 5th Annual TWENTYWONDER in Los Angeles! From it's funky/sweaty/adorable beginnings as SuperBall 'The One Day World's Fair' in 1996 to the fun-loving genre bending acceptance/awareness event hailed as today's Carnival of The Mind, this event is a genuine pleaser.

TWENTYWONDER repeatedly draws and amazes the sweetest people of Los Angeles with a cultural cocktail shaken with the sights and sounds and ideas for our thirsty modern lives," said Jim Hodgson, Director of Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.

Since 2010, TWENTYWONDER has raised over $400,000 with the proceeds helping to support DSALA's various programs offered to nearly 4,200 individuals with Down syndrome living in Los Angeles. With the monies raised last year, the DSALA continues to reach into new neighborhoods of Los Angeles providing support for those families living with Down syndrome/Trisomy 21. Additionally, the monies from TWENTYWONDER have helped to fund programs including: four basketball camps in diverse areas of Los Angeles, reading programs at the DSALA Van Nuys office, host Age of Change -- a game-changing, nationally important conference on Alzheimer's and Down syndrome, partner with UCLA's medical research projects, give free seminars for parents on subjects ranging from endocrinology to potty training, among other valuable program for members of the DSALA community.

This crowd-pleasing annual event is a hit with both the audience and the Los Angeles press. TWENTYWONDER was named, "An Event Pick" and called "Awesome!" by the Los Angeles Times. "Part charity, part science, part comedy...a mindbender," proclaimed LAIST.COM. "A once in a lifetime, completely eclectic, fun-filled amalgam of creators, builders and performers," said The Wrap and "One of the essential events of the summer," raved The LoveStain.com.

TWENTYWONDER will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the Doll Factory in Los Angeles (1910 West Temple Street). The doors open at 6:00 p.m. with live entertainment, food, drinks and attractions throughout the venue. Roller Derby match begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Doll Factory arena. Special performances, art, music, science and comedy will continue from 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Tickets for TWENTYWONDER are $50.00 for general admission and $150.00 for a VIP ticket (includes regular ticket, free valet parking, access to VIP Lounge, reserved seating in the derby arena, an exclusive Brad Oldham amulet, and complimentary catered food and drinks). Guests must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets are available online at TwentyWonder.org. Donations are currently being accepted at TwentyWonder.org for the Ambassadors Fund, which helps to give adult members of the local Down syndrome community the opportunity to attend TWENTYWONDER. For more information on the event visit www.TwentyWonder.org or www.DSALA.org.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT DOWN SYNDROME:
Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition affecting all ethnicities and economic groups. Down syndrome is found approximately once in every 691 births. Individuals with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome (Trisomy 21), which causes physical differences and disabilities. Most people with Down syndrome live a rich and productive life thanks to organizations like the DSALA, which has been providing services for more than 35 years to the Greater Los Angeles Area.

ABOUT TWENTYWONDER:
"TWENTYWONDER is the cause-driven cousin of SuperBalls 1-8. The recipe of TWENTYWONDER is easy: take a soulful collection of 100 plus creators, supporters, builders, entertainers, friends and volunteers who've been gathering for years in the name of SuperBall, create a new name derived from the medical term Trisomy 21(Down syndrome), expand the fan base to new and far-reaching sectors of society, then bring it all together for a One-Night World's Fair event to raise support and awareness for those born with Down syndrome living in the Greater Los Angeles area," said Jim Hodgson, Director of Administration and Development, DSALA. The inaugural fundraising event TWENTYWONDER began in 2010.

ABOUT DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES (DSALA):
The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA) was started over thirty-five years ago by fifteen forward-thinking parents of children born with Down syndrome. In an era when society's predominant response to individuals with Down syndrome was to place them in institutions, these pioneers stood up for what is right, took control, and opened up the dialog that all grateful new parents in the Down syndrome/Trisomy 21 community are advancing today. DSALA offers information, guidance and programming designed to assist parents and families who have a family member with Down syndrome. Part of DSALA's mission is to educate and enlighten a wider community to fully understand that everyone deserves respect, inclusion and that "we are more alike than different."
ABOUT THE L.A. DERBY DOLLS:

The L.A. Derby Dolls are Southern California's premiere all-female, banked track roller derby league. Founded in October 2003 by Rebecca Ninburg (a.k.a.Demolicious) and Wendy Templeton (a.k.a. Thora Zeen), the L.A. Derby Dolls are a league of more than 150 skaters and volunteers, divided into five teams who skate on a banked track. Embodying the do-it-yourself ethos of modern roller derby, as resurrected in Austin, Texas in 2000, the L.A. Derby Dolls are an entirely volunteer-run organization, relying on the support of their fans and community. The L.A. Derby Dolls take all the thrills of the old game and update it with a fresh and feisty new face. And the hits and spills are 100% real. No script can write this kind of action.

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