Children have shot at free medical treatment

BY JENNA CHANDLER THE PORTERVILLE RECORDER

An opportunity for free medical treatment is being offered for children under the age of 18.

To qualify for treatment, the children must be examined sometime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday morning at Sierra View District Hospital’s lobby by doctors and representatives from Shriners Hospital for Children.
They are looking for birth defects and other bone-related conditions.

Those who qualify, will receive treatment at a Shriners Hosptial, where children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive care in a family-centered environment at no cost.

Exams have been held in Porterville for about the last 10 years, and Dr. Ronald Marmolejo has long been a part. He has seen a multitude of patients with health issues, like a 7-year-old who could not run because one of his legs stopped growing.

“It’s a very nice mission,” Marmolejo said. “A lot of families don’t have the funds.”

The number of patients who are selected will be dependent on who qualifies, but it is common for Porterville-area children to be chosen. They typically receive treatment in about a month after the exam, according to volunteer Roy Pond.

Pond is encouraging people to come Saturday to “take care of their medical needs,” he said.

The Northern California Shriners Hospital is one of 22 Shriners Hospitals in North America, and specializes in treating the following childhood disorders: spina bifida, congenital absence of limbs, spinal deformities, limb deficiencies and irregularities, diseases of the bones and joints, burn injuries and rehabilitation and spinal cord injuries and rehabilitation.

-- Contact Jenna Chandler at 784-5000, Ext. 1050, or jchandler@portervillerecorder.com.

Shriner's Hospital in Galveston reopens

GALVESTON (KTRK) -- There were lots of hugs and kisses Wednesday morning at the Shriner's Burns Hospital in Galveston. The world renowned center re-opened.

Shriner's Burns Hospital has overcome both Hurricane Ike and a huge drop in its endowments, which funds its hospitals. Right now, it can only take two-thirds of its former patient load. But children receive treatment closer to home.

Eleven patients are scheduled for reconstructive surgery this week. The staff of both the Houston and Galveston Shriner's hospital will continue working closely together to create a smooth transition for all patients.

It’s All About Kids

by mac

Music Toy Run The 8th Annual Musician’s Toy Run Benefit is set for this Saturday, November 7th at Trails End Saloon. The ABATE/Shriner’s Toy Run is a motorcycle event sponsored by ABATE of Oregon where hundreds of riders take toys to the children at Shriners Hospitals for Children. The actual Toy Run will take place on December 6th.

Like previous years, all toys collected and funds raised during the Musicians Toy Run Benefit are donated to the ABATE Toy Run which benefits Shriner’s Kids. Last year’s musical event was a huge success, raising over $5000 and 6 large bags of new toys for the ABATE/Shriners’ Toy Run. The venue for this year’s event is at Trails End Saloon in Oregon City, 1320 Main Street. The party will start at 3pm and entertain you untill 1am. More information is available on musicians and the schedule is located at www.francinewest.com/fr_mtrb.html
Be there for some great entertainment!

Free kids' ortho-clinic planned

Arizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona

Children in Tucson with orthopedic problems are invited to a free outreach clinic sponsored by Shriners Hospitals for Children-Los Angeles Saturday. Nov.7, 09

The clinic will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Square & Compass Children's Clinic, 2600 N. Wyatt Drive, on the Tucson Medical Center campus.

Two L.A.-based doctors will be at the clinic to provide free, specialized screenings and routine follow-ups to children in need.

The only documentation required is a birth certificate and an immunization record, said Dick MIller, chairman of the hospital committee for the local Sabbar Shrine Temple.

Parents who think their children may be eligible for specialized care are invited to stop by the local temple at 450 S. Tucson Blvd. or call Miller at 624-2509.
Miller said the local clinic will serve children from both the United States and Mexico. He said some of the common problems the Shriners help with are club feet and spina bifida.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international health-care system composed of 22 hospitals nationwide providing free, specialized care for children under 18 years old.

Update on “The Night of the Child”

I wanted to give everyone an update on our Shriner Benefit coming up November 14th, “The Night of the Child”.
At the beginning of the year when we started meeting and promoting the Benefit we had three (3) goals. They were the following:
• Attract as many Corporations or people outside of the Shrine to get more visibility to the Shrine.
• Raise as much money as we could and make this a Benefit long turn that helps bring in a lot of money from outside Corporations.
• Educate the public on what we do as Shriners for the kids and why we do it.

In addition, we wanted this to be a night of fun, no speeches to speak of and a Benefit that people could spend money at and at the same time have fun with a sit down dinner.

We have sold out on all of our Individual seats and Reserved tables and are finalizing our Corporate sales this week. For the first year we are very pleased and excited with the success we have had with our sales. We have changed our maximum number of tables a couple of times and at this time our auditorium is full.

We are now in the final process of completing everything that we have planned and putting the final steps together. Through out the night those attending will have the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for the Bucket prizes and to spend money on many raffles and blitzes and the Casino area.

I am very proud to say that we have around 50 folks that are involved in this event from meetings and putting everything together to working the night of the event. It truly is a Shrine event put on by many members of the Clubs/Units and their ladies within the Shrine.

Many of you have asked if you still can get tickets. We are sold out and we have contacted many of the folks that have purchased tables and it is our understanding through these calls and emails that all the tables are full. All tables are set up for table of eight(8) and there are no exceptions to this.

Our committee Chairman’s have put in a ton of work on this and they are:
Mick Degn-Chairman
Jerry Weiers-Co-Chairman
Tom Ritter-Financial
Doug Fry-Selling
Mick Degn-Advertising/Promotion
Lynn Hatch-Activities (Raffles/Blitz’s)
Russ Gunther-Registration
Juice Horvath-Operations
Eric Hoyer-Live and Silent Auction
Mac Bohlman-Legal
Leo Balthazor-Food and Beverage
Recognition-Leo Balthazor

Ed Stolz has put together an outstanding video with sound showing all of our Shrine kids.This video will help educate the audience on what we do as Shriners and why their donation is so important. Sarah Cramer will sing the National Anthem and Lin Sue Cooney from Channel 12 will be our Special Guest speaker.

The dress for the evening will be business casual and the event starts at 4:30 PM with activities starting at that point. Registration will be by the Silent Messenger and your packet will be under your name or club/unit at Registration.

As we are sold out, we will not be selling any tickets at the door or have any open seats that evening.

Thank you again for your support of this great Shrine Benefit.

Mick Degn, Chairman

El Zagal Shrine Center to host haunted house

A “Not So Scary” haunted house for children ages 12 and younger is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the El Zagal Shrine Center, 1429 3rd St. N., Fargo.,ND

Parents’ admission is free, and children’s tickets are $7 and available at the door. Proceeds benefit the El Zagal Shrine director’s staff operations.

For more information, call (701) 235-7521.

Shriner's "The Night of the Child"

At El Zaribrah Shrine. We are all sold out on Individual seats and Reserved tables. We are
checking to see if any of the Reserved tables have any openings and
are willing to sell any of their open seats if they are available.

If seats become available we will leave an update message but at this
time we have none available.

I want to thank everyone again. The response to our event has been
great.