Last weeks program was provided by Rotarian Doug Watson. Doug’s guest speaker was Sheila Neisler, representing the Shriners Hospital for Children.Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care. The Tampa Shriners Hospital focuses on a wide range of pediatric orthopedic conditions, including rare diseases and syndromes. When you visit Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa you might see your neighbors and might also meet families visiting from across Florida and south Georgia, as well as from other countries. All services are provided in a family-centered environment, regardless of the families' ability to pay.Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa is located on the campus of the University of South Florida. The close proximity allows us to share resources. Some of our physicians hold teaching appointments at the Morsani College of Medicine. The Tampa Shriners Hospital opened in 1985. For the past 30 years, we have been bringing Love to the rescue to more than 50,000 children with orthopaedic conditions. Our world-renowned specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs have transformed patients back into kids.Shriners Hospital for Children - Tampa is one of 22 Shriners hospitals throughout the United States and Mexico. Located on the USF-Tampa campus. more than 2600 Hillsborough County children received care last year, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. As many of the children have an 18-year relationship at the hospital, staff and medical professionals literally become part of their extended family. In addition to patient stats of last year, the Tampa Hospital in the only hospital in the state which has two in-house “manufacturing” divisions to support the child outside the hospital: Built 360 individually-tailored wheelchairs (some costing $3,000 - $5,000 each)
Produced 6,625 braces and 173 artificial limbs. Naturally as the child grows, the equipment and treatment are adapted to meet the child’s needs. Tampa has seen a 16% increase in outpatient visits (13,506), 3,040 new patients (up 20%), 769 surgeries (up 27%), 5,152 Physical therapy visits (up 65%), 2,325 Occupational therapy visits (up 15%) and 1,131 Speech therapy visits (up 143%). Each day inside Shriners Hospitals for Children, patients and families say thank you to the Shriners – those men in the red fezzes. The model for care was imagined and established by the Shriners, the fraternal organization for which the hospital is named. Determined to give all children access to specialized pediatric care, the Shriners opened their first hospital in 1922. Polio was reaching epidemic proportions and only families of means had ready access to doctors; leaving thousands of children at risk without health care. Shriners Hospitals for Children opened as a place where children suffering from the crippling effects of polio, clubfoot and other orthopaedic conditions could receive life-changing medical care. Recognized as one of the world’s greatest philanthropies, Shriners Hospitals for Children has evolved into an international system of 22 hospitals recognized for devotion to transforming the lives of children through specialized care and research. It is a destination of choice for parents whose children have orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate and other complex surgical needs. Shriners Hospitals for Children accept all patients regardless of the families’ ability to pay. The hospital does accept many types of insurance, including Medicaid, although there are no barriers to care. For more information, or if you have additional questions, please call 866-665-5437.
-provided by Mike Arndt
Club News
Adam Snyder is our club's newest member!
Last we Adam was inducted as our club's newest member. If you haven't met Adam, be sure to introduce yourself. Welcome Adam!
Final preparations are underway. If you do not know what your committee assignment is, please see Brian Griffin. Please continue to get out and sell tickets. This is our largest fundraiser of the year and helps fund many of the charitable efforts of our club. As a reminder, even though you are working at the event or in it's preparation, all club members are expected to buy a ticket. Please turn in ticket money as it is collected because there are quite a few expenses that need to be covered to pt this event on.
Plant City Rotarians gathered last Wed. at the 1906 Irish Pub to participate in a taste test of different strawberry varieties. This was followed by socializing and tasting of various libations. Those in attendance enjoyed an afternoon of Rotary fellowship.
It is our goal to have enough sponsorship from members
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to your business's website. Don't have a business and
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Have any news you would like to share? Do you have a new position at work? Family news? Any news you would like to share with club members and bulletin subscribers? E-mail to Bill Wicker
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“Do you think you can handle the boat for the remainder of the journey to Key Largo?”, I asked my 13 year old grandson, Jackson. His uncle, who was one of two adults helping keep safe my three grandchildren on the 300 mile trek through the Everglades, had to drop out for medical reasons. Jackson is a veteran of three
previous Everglades Challenges, so I had full confidence he had both the technical skills and mental toughness to pull it off.
Without hesitation, he answered with a resounding, “Yes!”. Little did I know he and his 12 year old cousin, James, would not only prove adept at handling the boat during long runs at night, and sometimes in heavy seas, but would rescue two of three sailors whose yacht had capsized.
A cold-front was approaching and for several hours I had monitored weather updates on the marine VHF radio. In addition to a small craft advisory issued by
the Coast Guard, a wind-chill advisory was in effect due to strong winds and temperatures dipping into the 40’s. Most boats were already off the water as we hurried to a small island off the coast of Ft Meyers where we planned to make camp and sit out the storm.
Jackson’s voice broke my concentration when the
radio crackled to life. He alerted me to the plight of three people clinging to a capsized yacht in cold waters off Sanibel Island. The other adult, Julie, and my 11
year old granddaughter, Abigail, headed on their boat to the nearest beach to summons help. I then identified the heaviest person and told him to grab my
boat when I swung by. He was 89 years old and told me he had no more energy.
“Just let me go”, he said. Not only did he lack to strength to pull himself aboard, he wasn’t sure he could even hold on to the side much longer. I hurried to the front of the kayak and grabbed the anchor line, which I used secure him to the side of my boat. Then, I looked up to see how the other two gentlemen were faring.
Much to my surprise, both were already on the boat
being handled by Jackson and James. With no instruction, they realized that with a heavy person lashed to the side of my boat, I would have my hands full getting to shore in the worsening conditions. That’s when instinct and Jackson’s Boy Scout training kicked in. He and James realized that by running their boat onto the exposed keel, they would be temporarily joined to the mostly submerged yacht
and in a way that would facilitate the two men climbing aboard.
In the meantime, Julie and Abigail had arrived on the beach and flagged down a passing motorist to
assist upon our arrival. With additional help from a vacationing couple renting a beach house, an ambulance and marine sheriff’s deputy were soon on the scene.
All three men are doing well and the two rescued by Jackson and James refer to the boys as their ‘guardian angels’. We often make unfounded assumptions. Two young boys surely would not be
experienced enough to participate in an event described by the Times of London as one of the most dangerous in existence. Yet the rescued men, one of whom
told me he had 40 years of sailing experience, found themselves totally unprepared; none was wearing a life jacket, they had no whistles to attract attention, nor emergency links via satellite to the Coastguard.
It’s not age or experience that matters; it’s competence and common sense that transform
challenges into success. That’s what the two boys had in abundance.
That also happens to be a fitting description of RI President, Barry Rassin. His proven competence and common sense approach to let clubs experiment with new ideas is just what Rotary needs. Age, gender, and experience can be important, but competence and common sense can save the day in just about all situations.
Just ask the men two young boys plucked from the sea and ferried to dry land.
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