ESA’s Holiday Hike for St. Jude was a huge success last year. We raised over $21,000 for the hospital. This year, we are asking ESA members across the state to begin training to walk or run a 5K (that is 3 miles) in their OWN communities across Kansas on Sunday, November 16, 2008.

This can be done outside – in your neighborhood, at a park, at a track; or inside – on a treadmill, through the halls of a school. Whatever works for YOU!

Due to delays in getting the proper approval, we are unable to actually “host” an event in Manhattan, again, as we had planned. However, we have EVERY confidence that our Kansas ESA members will continue to go “above and beyond” for the kids of St. Jude.

This year’s challenge is for each participant to walk/run the 5K and to raise a total of $200 for the hospital. Since your registration fee for this year’s Holiday Hike is $20, you only need $180 more to reach your goal! It would only take 100 participants raising $200 each to reach our goal of $20,000. No matter how much you raise, you know it is going to a very worthy cause. Saving those children and finding cures is the important part!

Our sincere thanks to those that offered to find sponsors or donate needed items when we thought we had ALSAC’s approval for this event – Brenda Love, Pat Josey, Kim Kummer, Betty McCauley, Terri Clark and Angela Tabor. Since we are NOT actually hosting an event, we won’t need food, drinks, medals, parade permit, shelter rent, racing bibs, timer equipment, medical care, course marshals, timekeepers, banners or signs. However, we CAN still order the long sleeved t-shirts with the Holiday Hike logo and the date. Since we had red last year, they will be a different color this year. Since we don’t have sponsors to pay for these, IF you want one, you will need to pay for it separately. More details to follow later!

The deadline for all entries is October 20. That leaves us about two weeks to get any requested t-shirts ordered, so that they can be brought to Wichita for the November State Council meeting weekend on November 8 & 9. We can all wear our shirts on November 16 as we “hike” for 3 miles to raise money for St. Jude.

Thanks very much for your support. We know you….and we know that you can do this!

Maureen Wells - ESA Holiday Hike Chairman
Brenda Love - ESA Kansas Sr. Circle of Life Director

To Register for the Holiday Hike! (Click the Smiling Face) Sign up today and WALK for the children of St. Jude's. MAKE YOUR PLANS TODAY!

ESA Members in Kansas join in the effort to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that
"NO Child will die in the dawn of Life"

Little Bailey is an example of why the members of Epsilon Sigma Alpha work so hard to raise money to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Bailey was a member of the St. Jude family but lost her battle with childhood cancer at the tender age of five. Since 1972 our organization has made a yearly commitment to St. Jude and have raised over $124 million for the support of the hospital and the children suffering from this disease. It was the dream of Danny Thomas that, "No child should die in the dawn of life." We share that dream.

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Easter Seals - ESA's Second International Philanthropic Project

Easter Seals

Goodwill and Easter Seals in the State of Kansas have banded together to more effectively serve handicapped children and adults. This eleminated a great deal of overhead by handling one large facility and staff, which makes it possible to allocate more dollars to help the handicapped. Goodwill Industries Easter Seals Society of Kansas is located in Wichita. Its building was built in the early 70s and is completely accessible for the disabled. They are licensed by the Social and Rehabilitation Services, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and certified by the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped. Its vocational program is recognized nationwide. The website for Goodwill/Easter Seals in Kansas is http://www.goodwillKansas.easterseals.com

The first KSC Board meeting of the year featured Easter Seals. Susan Gosselin, 2008-2009 Easter Seals Senior Director and her committee set plans in place for the "Poker Run" in Independence August 9. The rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the participants as they visited merchants in the area to get the best poker hand and raise money for Easter Seals.

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HeartSpring - Kansas State Council State Philanthropic Project

Heartspring

The mission of Heartspring is to develope a partnership with parents, professionals and the community, and to help children with special needs grow and learn on a path to a more independent life. ESA helps to promote the programs and mission of Heartspring by donating their dollars and gifts-in-kind for the classroom, library, and living units. In addition our organization holds the "Day of Love" and Prom night, which entertain and gives the children attending Heartspring opportunities and experiences they might not otherwise have. The Men of ESA help to support Special Olympics conducted by Heartspring for the children. The goal for all Heartspring School students is to transition them to a less restrictive setting whether that be home, a group setting or the public school setting. Heartspring teaches the life skills that children need to become active members of society. Heartspring Pediatric Services strives to positively impact the lives of children with special needs through outpatient therapies that include occupational, physical and speech therapies and psychology services. Together with the child, parents and therapists, individual programs are implemented to help children attain their potential.

"ESA ~ Free to Be…Generous to Those In Need"

Kim Kummer, 2nd Vice President
Heartspring Programs/Events for 2008-2009

How can ESA donate to Heartspring this year:

• Adopt a Child – letters being mailed next month from Heartspring as well as information posted on the Website
• ADOPT A CHILD FLYER (Click on the flyer to enlarge image)
• Adopt a child at Heartspring and stay in touch all year.ADOPT A CHILD FORM
• Adopt a Home: Help to support your home with financial and tangible gifts.
• Box Tops for Education/ Tyson Project A+ - October 15 and February 15 deadlines - send Name, Chapter, address & number of boxtops sent to Heartspring Click Here for more information - Donating Boxtops for Heartspring
• Collect Ink Cartridges - bring them in November and/or send them in mailer bags.
• Buy some Jewelry and participate in the Heartspring Raffles - available at each meeting.
• State Philanthropic Project – Update Occupational Therapy Room (See details below)
• GIFT IN KIND FORM
• HEARTSPRING WISH LIST FOR THE FALL SHOWER (click on the blue line to get the list)
• Support the Fall Tailgate party hosted by Men of ESA in Manhattan September 27. All proceeds go to the Heartspring Hawks - special olympics team. (See details in Special Events.)

NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING:

• Tea & Tour along with District D
• 60th Anniversary Celebration – Gary Singleton
• Heartspring Highlight: OT Needs
• Update from Lindsay Randall on AAC
• Chorale Sensations
• Residential Shower
• Raffle Table
• YOUR INVITATION FROM HEARTSPRING FOR THE Birthday BASH Celebration!
  (Click on the Smilie face)     

DAY OF LOVE:

• Valentine Dance - February 21, 2009

APRIL CONVENTION:

• Heartspring contact at convention
• Raffle Table

MAY ACTIVITIES:

• Parents’ Weekend
• Prom - May 9, 2009

Proposed ESA Project for 2008-2009

Heartspring respectfully requests that the Kansas State Council of Epsilon Sigma Alpha consider supporting an update of our outpatient Occupational Therapy (OT) room as their 2008-2009 fundraising project for Heartspring. The existing collection of equipment, supplies and furniture in the OT room is outdated and has not been replaced in many years. By updating the room with new, modern items, our occupational therapists will be able to more efficiently and effectively serve the children and families who come to Heartspring Pediatric Services for therapy. Epsilon Sigma Alpha has supported Heartspring in so many ways over the last 60 years and we are thankful for the support ESA has given to our organization and the children we serve. This year, we hope you will consider helping us update our OT room.

Occupational therapy is one of the many services provided by Heartspring Pediatric Services for outpatient clients. Last year, Heartspring Pediatric Service served over 650 children by providing physical, occupational, speech-language therapies as well as hearing services, behavior intervention and educational testing for children with varying developmental delays and disabilities. Our occupational therapists see approximately 75-80 children each week in the OT room. They are experts in helping children develop their fine motor skills for school, work, play, leisure and self-help tasks. Heartspring occupational therapists help children achieve and regain a higher level of independence by offering skill and strength training, creative solutions for daily living tasks, and assistance in deficits in sensory processing, visual motor skills, handwriting and general play skills. Effective occupational therapy requires a broad range of tools, supports and equipment to meet the varying needs of the children receiving therapy. The following examples describe three outpatient clients who receive occupational therapy at Heartspring Pediatric Services.

When three year old Noah began speech and occupational therapy at Heartspring Pediatric Services in August 2007, he had no way to tell his parents what he wanted other than pointing and whining. He was unable to dress himself and lacked certain fine motor skills. Occupational therapist Mimi French has helped Noah make great strides in learning how to put on his clothes independently after taking off his pajamas. Noah started using a picture schedule to help him know what activities to expect during the session and to help him with transitions. When a task is completed, Noah pulls the card off of the Velcro board and places it in the “all done bucket”. “Initially Noah was completely dependent in taking his jammies off and putting his clothes on,” said French. “Now, after several weeks of mom and me helping, slowly decreasing assistance and ignoring his behaviors, he has achieved the goal of independence with taking jammies off. We clap and bring out a favorite puzzle when the task is completed. It is sure rewarding to see Noah’s proud smile.”

In July, 2006 Mike and Lisa brought four year old Preslie to Heartspring Pediatric Services for an evaluation with speech-language pathologist Debbie Harr and occupational therapist Mimi French. Detailed testing revealed several specific language deficits as well as deficits with processing instructions. Testing also showed decreased upper body strength, and deficits in motor planning and visual motor skills making writing and cutting difficult. French is helping Preslie to develop these skills, helping to prepare her for school. Since coming to Heartspring Preslie has already met her original goals in occupational therapy. Her fine motor skills and strength have improved and she is very mindful to use her “round thumbs” while holding her pencil or crayon. She has become so proficient that she even checks her brother Parker’s round thumbs at home. Her current goals include recognizing and copying upper case and lower case letters. While in therapy with French, Preslie utilizes multisensory input such as play-dough, sand, pipe cleaners and chalk to create letters. Using her creativity, Preslie makes up songs and rhymes that enable her to recall different therapy techniques, especially while learning to write the alphabet. She also gets plenty of encouragement and assistance from her large family. “Preslie is very blessed to have a family that supports her and the therapy goals and activities,” said French. “It is obvious that mom, dad or one of the older children worked with Preslie on home program activities.”

In December 2006, Zane was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). PDD-NOS is a diagnosis under the Autism Spectrum Disorder umbrella. A classification of PDD-NOS is based on deficits in social interaction, imaginative activity, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, as well as a limited number of interests that tend to be repetitive. Children with PDD-NOS often tend to zone out while participating in various activities. Occupational therapist Elise Malmberg works with Zane to wake up his senses by placing weighted blankets on him while he swings in the physical therapy gym. “This often helps kids to calm their bodies which in turn helps them to better interpret incoming information from their environment,” said Malmberg. “(This also) allows him to display higher levels of focus to his tasks and also increases participation.” In addition to keeping Zane more focused, much of Malmberg’s time is centered on assisting Zane with a variety of motor skills. Activities that come naturally to many children must be taught step by step to Zane, including writing, dressing, brushing his teeth and doing jumping jacks. “Although Zane has deficits in several areas, he also has many, many strengths,” said Malmberg. “He has strong visual perception skills, which has been a helpful tool in learning new things. He’s always surprising me with his abilities and thinking patterns.”

These three examples illustrate some of the ways our occupational therapists help children with disabilities and development delays reach their goals. Because the varying needs of our clients are vast, the OT room requires a collection of many items. Your support will enable us to furnish the OT room with the following kinds of supplies and equipment:

These pictures illustrate examples of some of the items our occupational therapists have identified as important components of an updated OT room. These examples do not represent a comprehensive list and items may change based on availability and need.

• Adjustable, stackable benches and tables that will accommodate children of different ages and sizes
• Adjustable room partitions that can be used to create multiple therapy areas enabling the room to be used more efficiently
• Two-level loft which will serve as an interactive learning environment
• T-stools and cube chairs needed to help children improve balance
• Large collection of multi-sensory items used to help children overcome deficits in sensory processing
• Fluorescent light covers to help make the environment more calming
• Therapy swing which will help clients improve balance and fine motor skills
• Adjustable slant boards used to help children with handwriting skills
• Storage cabinets for tasks, toys and supplies
• Stereo system to help engage children with music and educational CDs

In addition, we would also like to give the room an overall facelift with new paint and accessories.

By updating the OT room, Heartspring occupational therapists will be able to create an engaging environment that is more conducive to helping children with a variety of therapy needs. Currently, much of the furniture is not adjustable and therapists have to remove and replace furniture that is size-appropriate for each client. The room’s fluorescent light and lack of partitioned therapy areas affects many children’s ability to focus and stay on-task during sessions. An updated, upgraded OT room will allow our therapists to have a space that offers the resources and atmosphere needed to help children meet their goals. Goal to update OT Room is $16,000.

We invite Epsilon Sigma Alpha to sponsor the update of the OT room at Heartspring by adopting this as their Heartspring fundraising project for 2008-2009. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

This past year ESA Celebrated its 60th Anniversary with Heartspring
Giving an estimated $1 millon in cash and Gifts-in-Kind through the years

Highlights of ESA partnership

• Some of the projects ESA has supported over the years include, the Smart Classroom Project which helped us put interactive whiteboards in classrooms enabling our students to benefit from technology, a GAITRite Electronic Walkway System and Gait Mait Treadmill for use in our outpatient program, Tuition Assistance for School students, Donor Hearing Aid Program, Classroom Furniture, Campus Landscaping, Special Olympics, Playground equipment, Shape Our World/World Reach, our international initiative.
  
• In addition to an annual fundraising project, ESA supports our Adopt-A-Child program, Box Tops for Education, our Day of Love dance each February, our Prom each May and you shower our homes and classrooms with gifts each November during the Tea & Tour.
  
• Over the last 60 years ESA has raised over $789,000 for Heartspring. And, this does not include the countless gifts in-kind that have been donated or the thousands of volunteer hours that have been dedicated to Heartspring. (Note: Although the gifts-in-kind have not been kept track of - it is an easy estimate that the total exceeds $200,000 over the past 60 Years.)

ESA and Heartspring have a long and lasting partnership to help those with communication handicaps!

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ESA's Care Connection

The ESA Care Connection was created to facilitate the exchange of person-to-person philanthropic services. Members share their personal talents to provide support to others. It provides an opportunity for members to offer their help to others and to receive assistance during their own time of need. It utilizes the knowledge, expertise, and volunteer spirit of ESA members to share support and service to others in times of personal crisis. There are several divisions of the Care Connection: Personal Support Exchange of Personal Needs / Opportunities International Assistance Programs Relocation Services Contact our Care Connection Coordination if you need further information

Barbara says, "The Care Connection will be doing two projects this year.
The president asked me to promote the ABC’s of ESA and Hope for Hero’s"

The ABC’s of ESA – this program will be helping children learn and further their reading skills. This can be found on the ESA International website or you can click on the smiling face below. There are additional parts to this program. We will also be doing part of the Hope for Hero’s program.

For more information on the ABC's of ESA click here!

August Board meeting - We collected many school supplies for the Chapman school district at the August Board meeting in Independence. These supplies will help to replenish the materials destroyed in the June 11 tornado. Thank you for your generous contributions to this project. It will be greatly appreciated by the Chapman school district as they begin their year with very little.

January Board Meeting – I am meeting with a lady in the local area that is in charge of coordinating items for the Wounded Warrior Brigade. These are soldiers that have come back from Iraq, awaiting medical evaluation or discharge. They also have a program established where they are working in the local community trying to learn new skills. There are several items on their lists that they are requesting so more information will follow in the next issue of the news and views.

Hope For Heros	"ESA has had a long history of supporting the men and women who serve in the armed forces in times of conflict dating back to World War II. We continue this lagacy by sending letters, and care packages to our troops whereever they are located throughout the world today. Hope for Heroes provides boxes of goods and resources to support the military service personnel and their families.

Hope for Heroes Gift in Kind form - click here!

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