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Thursday, December 30, 2004 |
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'Tis better to give Posted: Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 - 08:22:01 am PST By KATHERINE HEAD Bigfork Eagle
In a philanthropic gesture that far belies their age, Swan River School students recently aided in the purchase of Spanish language books for children in Lima, Peru. The books were delivered to La Alegria en el Se-or-a private Catholic school for physically disabled children-along with more than 150 ROC wheelchairs. The wheelchairs were provided through Eleanore's Project, a non-profit collaboration created to furnish impoverished children with adaptable wheelchairs.Swan River School teacher Kathy Greytak had a very personal involvement in the November trip to Peru-her daughter Erin was among the team members who delivered the items to Lima. Erin Greytak, a board member of Eleanore's Project, delivered a presentation to Swan River School students last week to update the American children on the project. "They had wheelchairs, but they weren't meeting their needs. They didn't have lap belts so the kids were being held in place by their shoulders," Greytak explained. "ROC chairs are specifically designed for Third World countries. The Kids ROC Chair provides head support and postural support. It also grows with the child." "Harry Potter is big down there, and so is Sponge Bob Square Pants," she relayed. The statement earned an eruption of cheers from the American kids. Greytak also spoke of the living conditions in Peru. "They were very poor-a lot of them just have dirt floors," she said. "Most of the kids just have wheelchairs at school because their parents can't afford to have them at home." Eleanore's Project was spawned from a desire to preserve the memory of Eleanore Kittleson-Aldred, a Missoula girl born with Cerebral Palsy and profound deafness. Eleanore passed away in 2001 at the age of 11, and her parents founded the project to help other disabled children around the world. Rotary International, Hope Haven International and ROC Wheels of Bozeman all contributed to the project. Reach Out and Care (ROC) Wheels is a nonprofit organization geared toward the building and distribution of wheelchairs internationally. Eleanore's first wheelchair was a ROC design. In addition to the wheelchairs, books bought with funds raised by Swan River students were given to the Peruvian school. Students were asked to bring $1 to school for the project-a request that eventually yielded about $250. "It challenges us as a school to think beyond the lines of the U.S. I try to impress on the kids that we have a lot of gifts we take for granted. When we have a chance to give those gift in return, it makes us feel good," Swan River School Principal Peter Loyda said.
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