Registration is still open for the 11th annual Walk & Roll for Disabilities mall walk on March 1 on the upper level of the Oak View Mall, 3001 S. 144th St.
The event is a fundraising drive for the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities (MFD), which supports recreation therapy programs for adults with developmental disabilities at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Registration is open for individuals and teams here.
Brandon Herting has been taking part in the MMI recreational therapy programs for the past 10 years, graduating from the summer camps and Saturday morning camps (for younger children) to the Thursday night activities for adults. The 22-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, but his mother, Barbara Herting, said the MMI camps have provided a social outlet for her son.
“They go swimming, they do cooking activities, craft activities, recreational activities,” she said. “He’s non-verbal, but he knows these are his friends. He loves the people he attends camp with. I’ve even used some of the staff members as baby sitters.”
Registration is $25 through Feb. 25, $30 after that. Prizes are awarded at the event for teams with more than 20 members and the largest team.
Team members or individuals who raise more than $500 in pledges or donations (excluding registration fees) will be entered into a drawing to win an Apple iPad.
Organized by MFD, the event consists of more than 300 people walking and rolling in wheelchairs and adaptive bikes around the upper level of Oak View Mall at the same time in matching t-shirts to support a great cause.
The volunteer members of MFD’s board are dedicated to serving people with developmental disabilities through programs that improve their quality of life and promote inclusion in the community. MFD funds some programming at the MMI Recreational Therapy Department and also sponsors programs with other community partners such as Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA), The Ollie Webb Center, Inc., Sportsmen Assisting the Nation’s Disabled Sportsmen (SANDS), and the Circle Theatre.
Honorary Chairs are Drs. Mark Puccioni and Emily Kean-Puccioni and their children, John, Mary and Juliette, along with program participants and self-advocates Talissa Stumpf and Greg Bates.
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.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu and follow us on social media.
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Media Advisory on the event:
WHEN: 10: 30 a.m. Sunday, March 1, with check-in beginning at 9 a.m.
WHERE: Oak View Mall, 3420 Oak View Drive, at the food court on the second level
Registration is available at: http://www.ezeventsolutions.com/fr/Meyerfoundation/2015WalkAndRoll
or by calling (402) 559-5771.
Participants can sign up the day of the walk and can buy t-shirts for $10 on a first-come, first-served basis.
CONTACT:
Email: info@mfdisabilities.org
Phone: (402) 559-5771
Website: www.mfdisabilities.org/
To contact Barbara Herting, call (402) 679-1564.