Fisher-Titus receives $25,000 Pediatric Therapy Grant from Norwalk Elks

By ALLYSON LANE

Fisher-Titus

Officers from the Norwalk Elks Lodge No. 730 and the Norwalk Elks Cerebral Palsy Committee presented a $25,000 check to the Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department on Wednesday, May 15. This $25,000 grant from the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Board was submitted by the Local Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee and the Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Team. The grant will help support programs for pediatric patients with cerebral palsy.

“We are very pleased that for the third time, we applied for the grant and Fisher-Titus received the funds,” said Laura Wheeler, the local chapter’s chairperson for the Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee. “Each year the Norwalk Elks sends funds to the state Elks association and we are happy to see the money come back to our community again this year.”

The Norwalk Elks Lodge hosts a fundraiser annually to support cerebral palsy, which is the primary charity focus for the Ohio Elks Association. Members of the Norwalk Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Committee include Wheeler, DeEtte Zimmerman, Scott Whitehurst, Dori Weir and Mel Holida. The local Elks event is designated in memory of Errol “Chum” Zimmerman, a member of the local Elks chapter who had cerebral palsy and died in 2013. Chum also had ties to Fisher-Titus as both a patient and a volunteer.

“Fisher-Titus is excited to receive this grant and will use it to help serve the needs of patients with cerebral palsy. We thank the Elks for thinking of Fisher-Titus as a grant recipient again this year,” said Mary Helton, Vice President of Ancillary Services at Fisher-Titus. “In total, we have obtained $50,000 in grant money for pediatric therapy services from the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund Board.”

On average 7-10 percent of pediatric therapy patients seen are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, according to Helton.

“The Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department is looking forward to expanding services for individuals with neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy through the purchase of additional equipment and staff training that will help patients more quickly reach their potential,” Helton said.

The Fisher-Titus Pediatric Therapy Department provides evidence-based pediatric therapy services to children with a variety of physical and communicative impairments. On average, staff see 250 children per month in the outpatient therapy department and offer specialized summer camps/programs to about 50 children each summer. The pediatric therapy team includes 10 speech therapists, nine occupational therapists and three physical therapists. For more on Fisher-Titus Therapy, visit fishertitus.org.