Employees of Friendship Pediatric Services of Siloam Springs took the ice water challenge on Wednesday to benefit the children they serve.
In the past several weeks, the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" has become a world-wide phenomenon over the Internet and social media and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars globally in awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Friendship nurse Sarah Scroggins was responsible for issuing the challenge to the other staff members. Even though ALS is a worthy cause, Scroggins asked them to brave getting cold water dumped on them in honor of the children they serve that have disabilities with three- and four-letter acronyms.
Twenty people lined up to be doused by a tanker truck from the Siloam Springs Fire Department.
Director Renee Philpot held up a poster listing 18 disabilities during the challenge. Friendship Pediatric Services has one or more children with each of the conditions, she said.
"We are asking anyone who sees the video, pictures or hears about our challenge to consider a $10 or more donation so that we can purchase adaptive activity chairs for several of the children we serve that have one of the above diagnosis," Philpot said.
The chairs allow children to be on the same level as their peers, making interactions and activities possible, Philpot said. Wheel chairs and adaptive strollers often place children a lot higher than their peers making it difficult to eat at the same table or play in the same places, especially the floor. The chairs also add mobility to the classroom for the kids, she said.
The center currently needs three chairs and Philpot anticipates they will need more in the future. Each chair costs approximately $700.
A video of the Friendship Pediatric Services employees taking the challenge can be viewed at vimeo.com/friendshipcommunity.
Donations can be dropped off or mailed to their Mt. Olive Street location at 918 S. Mt. Olive St., or online at friendshipcommunitycare.org. For more information contact Philpot at 479-524-2458.
General News on 08/31/2014