140 year of Shriners
Friday, June 29, 2012
Circus Returns to Deadwood
DEADWOOD — The Naja Northern Hills Shrine Circus will call Deadwood's Days of '76 Rodeo Grounds its circus stomping grounds Saturday. Two shows, complete with a Main Street kick-off parade, comprise just part of what will happen in and out of the Jordan World Circus show ring.
The second biggest fundraiser of the year for the Naja Shriners, circus co-chair Jeff Schroeder said the Shrine Circus helps raise funds for transportation costs for sick children traveling back and forth to Shriners Hospitals.
“There are over 420 children in western South Dakota who are patients at the Minnesota Shriners Hospital and others in the Shriners Hospital system,” Schroeder explained. “The circus helps fund all activities it takes to get these patients back and forth to Shriners Hospitals free of charge. It is held to pay for the expenses to run the Naja Shrine. It supports the Shrine, in order for us to do our work. The money doesn't go directly to the hospital. It helps us do our job to get kids to the hospitals.”
AWARENESS DAY:June 28, 2012
PHOTO
BY RANDY HOEFT/YUMA SUN
Two-year-old Ella Kaye Wagner, born with a rare
condition, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), doesn't let that stop her
as she tries to play her guitar.
Yuma toddler won't let
being 'different-abled' stop her
On Saturday,
Arthrogryposis Awareness Day, Ella Kaye’s family and friends will be wearing
blue, the color chosen to represent arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.
June 30, 2005, was the day www.amcsupport.orgwas launched by founder Ani
Samargian. Every year supporters use the day to raise awareness on AMC, a
condition that affects one in 3,000 births.
Slideshow
Click here to see
more photos of Ella and her progress
Two-year-old Ella Kaye Wagner lives
with a condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which causes the
joints in her arms and legs to be locked into position. But she doesn't let
that stop her.
She's a budding musician, just like her daddy. She loves to bang out tunes on her play piano and demonstrate her talent with the toy guitar.
When meeting someone for the first time, she pretends to be shy. But she soon breaks free of her shell and flashes disarmingly sweet smiles.
“She's a big ball of energy,” said 24-year-old Dave Wagner of his daughter.
Ella Kaye constantly follows her dad around the house, helping him clean. She can't walk, but she's a great scooter. The toddler doesn't seem to believe there's anything she can't do.
“She's very independent. She wants to do things on her own, but she can't do everything. She gets frustrated when she wants to do something but needs help,” said her 22-year-old mom, Audrianna McMillen.
The little girl is also very smart, with a surprising vocabulary. She talks in sentences, can count to 10, knows her colors and can say the alphabet with her parents. She also loves to “read” books.
“She's the greatest gift from God. She is truly amazing,” McMillen said.
The proud mom tells her friends that Ella Kaye is not disabled. “She is different-abled. Disabled implies she can't do some things. She can do everything, but differently.”
There was a time when Wagner and McMillen didn't know whether their baby girl would survive. Testing during McMillen's pregnancy revealed that the baby's intestines were growing outside her body and that she had club feet, hand malformations and a possibly enlarged heart.
Wagner and McMillen were told the baby might not survive the pregnancy. At 24 weeks, she was told to consider an abortion.
“I said no. I felt it would be murder, especially so far along,” McMillen recalled.
Doctors monitored the baby's development with weekly ultrasounds and heart monitoring. They later learned the baby's heart was fine.
At 36 weeks, McMillen delivered Ella Kaye via a caesarean on Dec. 20, 2009, in Phoenix. Seeing her newly born baby with her intestines outside her body “was a complete shock.”
At her birth, doctors didn't have a name for Ella Kaye's condition. “It is so rare we had never heard of it before she was born. Even the physical therapists, doctors and nurses had never heard of it,” McMillen said.
Ella Kaye underwent her first surgery at 4 days old to repair her intestines and spent a month in the hospital. After further testing, they learned the baby girl had arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. A specialist immediately recognized some of the signs, such as the “angel kisses” — red markings on her face that are now faded but come out when upset — and fixed joints and tendons in her arms, hands and legs.
“Her muscles and joints did not develop. No one knows why, it's not genetic. There's speculation it could be due to maternal superheating during pregnancy. We're both from Minnesota and we moved to Yuma (to be closer to family) when the weather was 115 degrees,” McMillen said.
“With superheating, the uterus doesn't grow like it's supposed to, so her joints didn't develop as she had no room to develop. And connective tissue grows on them.”
In her 2-1/2 years, Ella Kaye has had five surgeries and countless therapy sessions, which released one elbow and now she can bend her arm. She's recently discovered that she can bring her hand to her mouth, something that most babies discover early on.
The little girl used casts for a while, but now she has very fashionable pink-and-animal-print braces that keep her feet in the flex position, stretching them out.
Since each case is unique, only time will tell how much she'll be able to do. However, McMillen, a caregiver for the elderly and a full-time health-care administration student, and Wagner, a construction worker and musician but currently staying at home until Ella Kaye starts school, are hoping to give her all possible opportunities.
“I just want for her to be happy and that she doesn't have sadness with her condition when she's older,” Wagner said. “I don't know what I will say when she asks, Why am I different?”
McMillen points out that with her personality, Ella Kaye won't let anything hold her back. But she is afraid children will make fun of her daughter when she starts regular school. In the meantime, her daughter will start a preschool with other special needs kids in January.
In the immediate future, the young family has to deal with other challenges involving Ella Kaye's care, such as reliable transportation to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles.
The last time they took Ella Kaye for a treatment, their car broke down on the highway and the normally six-hour trip took 12. They're trying to save enough money to replace or fix the car, but like a lot of families, they live check to check.
Since family and friends have expressed an interest in donating to their cause, Wagner's sister set up a PayPal account at www.ellasworld.me, which follows Ella Kaye's journey. Family members also opened up an account for donations at Wells Fargo (Account No. 6685867050).
The good news is that when Ella Kaye was 1-1/2 years old, the local Shriners took an interest in helping her. They have paid for surgeries, splints and visits to the Shriners Hospital in L.A.
The tot still has more surgeries waiting for her. Her parents want to do as much as they can when she's young. However, they are reserving some surgeries for when she's older so she can decide how much she wants corrected.
For example, her dislocated hip can be fixed with surgery but it might cause other problems. The same with her wrists. Surgeons could take some bone out to straighten them, but will she want that?
“We don't want to make that decision for her,” McMillen said.
In the meantime, her parents do daily therapy with their daughter, helping her straighten and bend her arm so it won't become fixed again.
“It's been a long journey with her, but it's been an amazing one. We still have a long way to go, though,” McMillen said.
Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or 539-6856. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSMaraKnaub or on Twitter at @YSMaraKnaub.
She's a budding musician, just like her daddy. She loves to bang out tunes on her play piano and demonstrate her talent with the toy guitar.
When meeting someone for the first time, she pretends to be shy. But she soon breaks free of her shell and flashes disarmingly sweet smiles.
“She's a big ball of energy,” said 24-year-old Dave Wagner of his daughter.
Ella Kaye constantly follows her dad around the house, helping him clean. She can't walk, but she's a great scooter. The toddler doesn't seem to believe there's anything she can't do.
“She's very independent. She wants to do things on her own, but she can't do everything. She gets frustrated when she wants to do something but needs help,” said her 22-year-old mom, Audrianna McMillen.
The little girl is also very smart, with a surprising vocabulary. She talks in sentences, can count to 10, knows her colors and can say the alphabet with her parents. She also loves to “read” books.
“She's the greatest gift from God. She is truly amazing,” McMillen said.
The proud mom tells her friends that Ella Kaye is not disabled. “She is different-abled. Disabled implies she can't do some things. She can do everything, but differently.”
There was a time when Wagner and McMillen didn't know whether their baby girl would survive. Testing during McMillen's pregnancy revealed that the baby's intestines were growing outside her body and that she had club feet, hand malformations and a possibly enlarged heart.
Wagner and McMillen were told the baby might not survive the pregnancy. At 24 weeks, she was told to consider an abortion.
“I said no. I felt it would be murder, especially so far along,” McMillen recalled.
Doctors monitored the baby's development with weekly ultrasounds and heart monitoring. They later learned the baby's heart was fine.
At 36 weeks, McMillen delivered Ella Kaye via a caesarean on Dec. 20, 2009, in Phoenix. Seeing her newly born baby with her intestines outside her body “was a complete shock.”
At her birth, doctors didn't have a name for Ella Kaye's condition. “It is so rare we had never heard of it before she was born. Even the physical therapists, doctors and nurses had never heard of it,” McMillen said.
Ella Kaye underwent her first surgery at 4 days old to repair her intestines and spent a month in the hospital. After further testing, they learned the baby girl had arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. A specialist immediately recognized some of the signs, such as the “angel kisses” — red markings on her face that are now faded but come out when upset — and fixed joints and tendons in her arms, hands and legs.
“Her muscles and joints did not develop. No one knows why, it's not genetic. There's speculation it could be due to maternal superheating during pregnancy. We're both from Minnesota and we moved to Yuma (to be closer to family) when the weather was 115 degrees,” McMillen said.
“With superheating, the uterus doesn't grow like it's supposed to, so her joints didn't develop as she had no room to develop. And connective tissue grows on them.”
In her 2-1/2 years, Ella Kaye has had five surgeries and countless therapy sessions, which released one elbow and now she can bend her arm. She's recently discovered that she can bring her hand to her mouth, something that most babies discover early on.
The little girl used casts for a while, but now she has very fashionable pink-and-animal-print braces that keep her feet in the flex position, stretching them out.
Since each case is unique, only time will tell how much she'll be able to do. However, McMillen, a caregiver for the elderly and a full-time health-care administration student, and Wagner, a construction worker and musician but currently staying at home until Ella Kaye starts school, are hoping to give her all possible opportunities.
“I just want for her to be happy and that she doesn't have sadness with her condition when she's older,” Wagner said. “I don't know what I will say when she asks, Why am I different?”
McMillen points out that with her personality, Ella Kaye won't let anything hold her back. But she is afraid children will make fun of her daughter when she starts regular school. In the meantime, her daughter will start a preschool with other special needs kids in January.
In the immediate future, the young family has to deal with other challenges involving Ella Kaye's care, such as reliable transportation to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles.
The last time they took Ella Kaye for a treatment, their car broke down on the highway and the normally six-hour trip took 12. They're trying to save enough money to replace or fix the car, but like a lot of families, they live check to check.
Since family and friends have expressed an interest in donating to their cause, Wagner's sister set up a PayPal account at www.ellasworld.me, which follows Ella Kaye's journey. Family members also opened up an account for donations at Wells Fargo (Account No. 6685867050).
The good news is that when Ella Kaye was 1-1/2 years old, the local Shriners took an interest in helping her. They have paid for surgeries, splints and visits to the Shriners Hospital in L.A.
The tot still has more surgeries waiting for her. Her parents want to do as much as they can when she's young. However, they are reserving some surgeries for when she's older so she can decide how much she wants corrected.
For example, her dislocated hip can be fixed with surgery but it might cause other problems. The same with her wrists. Surgeons could take some bone out to straighten them, but will she want that?
“We don't want to make that decision for her,” McMillen said.
In the meantime, her parents do daily therapy with their daughter, helping her straighten and bend her arm so it won't become fixed again.
“It's been a long journey with her, but it's been an amazing one. We still have a long way to go, though,” McMillen said.
Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or 539-6856. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSMaraKnaub or on Twitter at @YSMaraKnaub.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Classic Cars for Shriners!
Cherished Classics From The Pettit Collection Will Be Offered Without Reserve
The 1929 Duesenberg “Blue J” and 11 collector cars from the William A. C. Pettit, III Collection
will be sold at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions
Estate Proceeds will benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children®-Tampa
Gooding & Company’s 2012 Pebble Beach Auctions will take place on Saturday and Sunday,
August 18 & 19 at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, located at the corner of Portola Road and
Stevenson Drive. Preview days will start on Wednesday, August 15 continuing through Sunday,
August 19. The auctions will commence at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions catalogues are available for $100 and admit two to
the viewing and the auctions. General admission tickets to the viewing and auctions may be
purchased on site for $40. Auctions are broadcast live from Gooding & Company’s website.
Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are also available on
http://www.goodingco.com or by calling (310) 899-1960. For additional vehicle information and
up-to-the-minute results, follow Gooding & Company on Facebook and Twitter
@GoodingCompany.
Crocker Art Museum Exhibits Works by Young Artists
Shriners Hospital patients put their visions of music on paper.
MORE THAN 20 DRAWINGS, paintings and collages by young artists from Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Northern California will be on display at the Crocker Art Museum this summer. See the Music, Hear the Art is the title of the exhibit inspired by the Sacramento Philharmonic and
open to the public July 3 – August 26 at the Crocker, located at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento.
The works by Shriners Hospital patients were inspired by Julian Dixon, Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, who led art workshops in the Shriners Hospital School earlier this year.
The children attending school at the hospital created artwork in various mediums while Dixon played his tuba and shared his vision of the music with the children. “The schoolroom came to life when Julian visited,” said Margaret Kugler, coordinator of the school program at the Northern California Shriners
Hospital.
“Children who come to Shriners Hospital attend our on-site school as part of their daily routine. While it is important that they keep up with core curriculum, it also is important for them to learn to engage in new experiences,” said Kugler. “Julian’s workshops were true exercises in creativity as the children worked to put their visions of the music on paper. Those who attend the exhibit will see imagination at work,” she added.
The purpose of the Sacramento Philharmonic’s See the Music, Hear the Art program is to enable children in hospitals, transitional housing and shelters to create art inspired by listening to great works of music. Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California was one of four sites participating in the 2012 program.
Other See the Music, Hear the Art participants included Loaves & Fishes’ Mustard Seed School, Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center Mather Community Campus, and Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE). Artistic interpretations by children at each of the participating organizations are included in the special exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum.
To learn more about how you can join Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California in building a caring community, please call the Public & Community Relations Office at 916-453-2018 or send email to ncal.info@shrinenet.org.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
2012 Events Itinerary MONTANA EAST/WEST SHRINE ALL-STARS GAME
Friday July 20th
EAST/WEST SHRINE GAME MEDIA DAY
Meet the East/West Shrine Game All-stars High School Players
Friday, July 20, 1-4pm at Memorial Stadium
This is your night to meet and greet the players, coaches and cheerleaders.
It is time for pictures and interviews. The public is welcome.
Many volunteers and event organizers will also be present.
Friday, July 20, 1-4pm at Memorial Stadium
This is your night to meet and greet the players, coaches and cheerleaders.
It is time for pictures and interviews. The public is welcome.
Many volunteers and event organizers will also be present.
Friday July 20th
VIP HOSPITALITY RECEPTION
Held in the Civic Center Upper 2nd Floor South Balcony between 4:30-5:30pm to recognize and honor our generous Montana East/West Shrine Game sponsors and donors. By Invitation Only.
Friday July 20th
PLAYER & CHEERLEADER RECOGNITION BANQUET
This banquet at the Mansfield Center Convention Hall allows us to introduce the players publicly. After dinner, there is a signature football auction. These footballs are signed by the coaches and players and sell between $500-$1,000. Most people combine their dollars to buy one of these footballs for their community player. Banquet tickets are available online at the Mansfield Box Office. Banquet tickets $25/person.
Cocktail Hour - 5:00-6:00pm
Banquet - 6:30pm
Player Introductions - 7:30pm
Signature Football Auction - 8:00pm
Saturday July 21st
MINI CHEERLEADERS CAMP
The Montana East West Shrine Game All Star Cheerleaders will hold a “Mini Cheer Camp” for kids ages 3yrs and up at the Townhouse Inn located at 1411 10th Ave South, Great Falls, MT on July 21st at 9:00 a.m. Cost is $15.00. No need to pre-register, just sign up when you come.
Campers will receive a set of pom-poms and a t-shirt. Campers will learn cheers, jumps, kicks, a dance, and a whole lot more fun stuff. They will be invited to ride a float in the Shrine Parade on Saturday morning in downtown Great Falls at 11:00. All proceeds from camp will go to the Shriners Hospitals. For questions about camp, please call Julie Shepherd @ 590-2734.
Saturday July 21st
PARADE
There is a parade in downtown Great Falls with Shrine and Civic units from across Montana. The Parade begins at 11:00am. It will start at Central Ave and 8th Street So. and end at the Mansfield Center.
Parade line up -10:30am
Parade begins -11:00am
Saturday July 21st
Family Style Tailgating Party
Tailgating BBQ - BBQ and soft drinks will be served at Memorial Stadium 1 – 5pm by the Cascade County Tavern Association and help for the Red Horse Squadron. There will also be a classic car and motorcycle show. Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun and photos. This event is on a donation offering and all profits will support the Spokane Shrine Hospital for Children.
MONTANA EAST/WEST SHRINE ALL-STARS FOOTBALL GAME
The game will be played in Memorial Stadium. Gates open at 5:00pm and the pre-game show begins at 6:30pm. Kick off is at 7:00 pm sharp. Game tickets are for sale online at the Mansfield Box Office Reserved seating $10-$20 General admission $5.
Gates open -5:00pm
Pre-Game Show -6:30pm
Player Introductions -6:40pm
Kick off -7:00pm
Game ends -9:00pm
MONTANA EAST-WEST 2012 SHRINE GAME TEAMS ANNOUNCED
July 21, 2012 Great Fall, Mt.-
July 21, 2012
Gates Open @ 5:00
Kickoff @ 7:00 p.m.
Memorial Stadium
Great Falls, Montana
For over half a century, Montana Shriners have labored diligently to produce this most prestigious high school all-star football game each July to put Montana's high school best on display for the football public while at the same time raising money in support of Shriners Hospitals for Children.
This Year, be a Part of Montana's East-West Shrine Game
When we consider the cost to operate the 22 Shriners Hospitals (19 orthopedic and 3 burn institutes) will be over $726,000,000 in 2012, an amount which comes to more than 2 million per day, we can more than fully appreciate why Shriners continue to sponsor all-star football games, golf activities, and other events to raise money for this most worth of all causes - "The Greatest Philanthropy on Earth." Be assured that your continued support of our hospitals and attendance at the game is genuinely appreciated by the Shriners, the players, and most especially, our "kids" in the hospitals!
The Montana Shrine Bowl is the oldest continuous single-state sponsored Shrine High School All-Star Game in North America. It is played in support of Shriners Hospitals for Children, which are open to all children through the age of 18 regardless of race, creed or color.
This game has raised over $1,000,000 for the Shrine Hospital in Spokane, Washington.
Over the past 65 years, nearly 3,300 of Montana's finest athletes have played in the game. Some have gone on to star on college and a few have played in the Shrine College Senior All-Star East-West Classic in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Houston, Orland and Tampa - and pro ball as well.
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