Of all the myriad of activities that will accompany this year’s Kansas Shrine Bowl, one that may be the least heralded and involve the fewest people may have the greatest impact on the lives of one or more Kansas families.
On game day, Saturday, July 28th, while many of the Shrine Bowl fans are getting ready to either watch or participate in the annual Shrine Bowl parade, a quiet clinic will be held to evaluate children up to 18 years old who might be eligible for services provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children. The free clinic will be held at Flint Hills Community Health Center in Emporia from 9:00 to 11:30. Spokesperson for the Health Center Erin Reece says clinic will be for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft palate deformities.
“We will help determine if they’re eligible to receive the services at Shriners Hospitals for Children”, she says. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
Children will be examined by a local pediatrician, Dr. Michael Mawdsley, who will be assisted by other volunteers in the medical field. They’ll help with the evaluations, and assist in filling out the necessary paperwork to apply for help at Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The clinic provides parents and caregivers a way to quickly determine if Shriners Hospitals for Children can help a child who may be helped by the services provided by the hospitals. “We’ve had clinics at Shrine Bowls in the past”, says Executive Director Emeritus Dave Mize. “They’ve been successful in helping families find an entry point into the Shriners Hospital system, and we think it’s a natural tie-in with our game, which is meant to support the hospitals from the game’s proceeds.”
One of Mize’s favorite stories is about a football coach in southwest Kansas who was selected to coach in the Shrine Bowl several years ago. It wasn’t until Mize attended a banquet attended by several West players and coaches weeks before the game that he discovered the coach’s son was a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis. “That came as a surprise”, says Mize. “What made the story even more gratifying was that the coach and his wife were able to have their son evaluated at a clinic connected to the Shrine Bowl. It’s a great story, and we love sharing it whenever possible.”
Reece hopes that at least five to ten families, and maybe more, will take advantage of the clinic. “We see people on a regular basis that would definitely benefit from this”, she says. “We know that people will be traveling to the game from all around the state, and we would like for anyone that might possibly be helped to take advantage of the clinic. We are very excited and honored to be associated with the Shriners Hospitals for Children.”
The Flint Hills Community Health Center is located at 420 West 15th Avenue in Emporia. Reece says anyone who needs more information about the clinic can call 1-620-342-4864, extension 3761. The Health Center’s web address is www.flinthillshealth.org.
All Shrine Bowl events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children [SHC]. SHC is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay. The 39th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played Saturday, July 28th, 2012, in Emporia, Kansas, at Welch Stadium on the Emporia State University campus. Kickoff will be at 7:00 pm. Tickets and additional information are available at www.kansasshrinebowl.com or by calling 800-530-5524.
On game day, Saturday, July 28th, while many of the Shrine Bowl fans are getting ready to either watch or participate in the annual Shrine Bowl parade, a quiet clinic will be held to evaluate children up to 18 years old who might be eligible for services provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children. The free clinic will be held at Flint Hills Community Health Center in Emporia from 9:00 to 11:30. Spokesperson for the Health Center Erin Reece says clinic will be for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft palate deformities.
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Children will be examined by a local pediatrician, Dr. Michael Mawdsley, who will be assisted by other volunteers in the medical field. They’ll help with the evaluations, and assist in filling out the necessary paperwork to apply for help at Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The clinic provides parents and caregivers a way to quickly determine if Shriners Hospitals for Children can help a child who may be helped by the services provided by the hospitals. “We’ve had clinics at Shrine Bowls in the past”, says Executive Director Emeritus Dave Mize. “They’ve been successful in helping families find an entry point into the Shriners Hospital system, and we think it’s a natural tie-in with our game, which is meant to support the hospitals from the game’s proceeds.”
One of Mize’s favorite stories is about a football coach in southwest Kansas who was selected to coach in the Shrine Bowl several years ago. It wasn’t until Mize attended a banquet attended by several West players and coaches weeks before the game that he discovered the coach’s son was a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis. “That came as a surprise”, says Mize. “What made the story even more gratifying was that the coach and his wife were able to have their son evaluated at a clinic connected to the Shrine Bowl. It’s a great story, and we love sharing it whenever possible.”
Reece hopes that at least five to ten families, and maybe more, will take advantage of the clinic. “We see people on a regular basis that would definitely benefit from this”, she says. “We know that people will be traveling to the game from all around the state, and we would like for anyone that might possibly be helped to take advantage of the clinic. We are very excited and honored to be associated with the Shriners Hospitals for Children.”
The Flint Hills Community Health Center is located at 420 West 15th Avenue in Emporia. Reece says anyone who needs more information about the clinic can call 1-620-342-4864, extension 3761. The Health Center’s web address is www.flinthillshealth.org.
All Shrine Bowl events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children [SHC]. SHC is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay. The 39th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played Saturday, July 28th, 2012, in Emporia, Kansas, at Welch Stadium on the Emporia State University campus. Kickoff will be at 7:00 pm. Tickets and additional information are available at www.kansasshrinebowl.com or by calling 800-530-5524.
