For more than 30 years, the Scottish Rite Masons have funded the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s RiteCare program at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI), making it possible to assist thousands of children in overcoming speech and language disabilities without regard to a family's ability to pay.
Regardless of a good economy or tough times, the Scottish Rite Masons have been there.
The RiteCare Clinic's mission is to increase the receptive and expressive communication abilities of preschool age children.
"There are many children who struggle to communicate basic information to their family, their peers, and those who help take care of them,” said Amy Nordness, director of the MMI Speech-Language Pathology Department. "Without intervention, these children can fall behind and their difficulties can compound, impacting academics, behavior, and socialization with others.
“Early speech and language therapy helps lay the foundation for their future. Specializations of the speech-language pathologists have allowed the RiteCare Clinic to help children who need it the most through speech generating devices, technology to support early literacy, and feeding and swallowing therapy.
"The support of the Scottish Rite Foundation and the WalkRite event has been an important part of these successes," she said.
On June 6, the Scottish Rite Foundation is hosting the Seventh Annual WalkRite for RiteCare at Zorinsky Lake, raising funds for RiteCare services. The event is open to the public. Participation can be as either a team member, team captain, or fundraiser.
"The support of community members who participate in the WalkRite for RiteCare event enable the Scottish Rite Foundation to continue funding speech pathology services for children," said Mike Leibowitz, Ph.D., director of MMI. "We hope others can join us for this important event."
In 2014, the event raised $7,500 for the RiteCare Speech and Language Clinic at MMI. Since its inception, the event has raised approximately $40,000 for the clinic, which provided nearly 400 hours of speech therapy for needy children. In 2014, Munroe-Meyer saw 953 children, with 1,097 being seen at the RiteCare Clinics around the state.
The event will feature clowns from the Tangier Shrine, as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and desserts for walkers. Raffle items have been donated by the RiteCare clinicians and RiteCare families.
Walkers can register on-site or in advance at http://walkrite.kintera.org/omaha2015. To learn more, go to www.RiteCareNE.org.
The WalkRite for RiteCare will be held:
Where: Zorinsky Lake, 156th and F streets, Omaha, at the picnic pavilion
When: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 6 (on-site registration begins at 9:30 a.m.)
There is no cost to walk, but there are incentives awarded for reaching fundraising goals, including WalkRite T-shirts, water bottles and RiteCare bags.
Munroe-Meyer Institute is committed to unlocking the potential of children and adults with developmental disabilities and genetic disorders through exceptional patient care, education and research. MMI health care providers annually diagnose and treat more than 10,000 children and adults with special needs.
We are Nebraska Medicine and UNMC. Our mission is to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.
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