50+ Lifestyles

Having Fun to Help Others

Shriner organizations raise money through participation in parades throughout small town America.

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

“Never does a Shriner stand so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”

Hunter Woodhall, thirteen years old, plays basketball, football and soccer; he wrestles; he runs track, snow skis, swims and roller blades, all with two prosthetic legs. He was born with fibular hemimelia of the left leg, the congenital absence of the fibula or calf bone which requires amputation or bone-lengthening procedures to correct. In addition, his right ankle was fused. After unsuccessful attempts to find help for their son’s condition, the Woodhalls contacted Shriners Hospitals for Children. After consultation with a team of experts at the Tampa, Florida facility, they proceeded with the amputation of Hunter’s feet. Shortly after his surgery at 11 months old, Hunter was walking and running around.

He hasn’t stopped since.

Jeremy Gabriel has sung for both Celine Dion and the Pope; he has recorded two albums and co-authored a book. He was born deaf! Born prematurely with severe facial
malformations and other complications, Jeremy was finally diagnosed at six months with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. In addition to head, skull and facial deformities, children with this condition generally have absent or malformed ears, resulting in hearing loss. Jeremy was referred to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Canada at the age of five for treatment. After receiving a Bone Anchored Hearing implant, he was fascinated with sound and soon discovered he could sing. Jeremy now attends high school , where he specializes in performing arts and is preparing for a career in the music business.

The stories could go on and on! Since the first hospital opened in 1922 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shriners Hospitals for Children have been changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world class research and outstanding medical education. Now spread across our country and beyond its borders, are twenty-two hospitals that focus on four specialized areas of care:

• Orthopedic Care
• Burn Care
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Cleft Lip and Palate Care

Shriners Hospitals for Children relies on generous donations from Shriners, corporations, and the general public to carry out its mission and improve the lives of children every day.

One of the ways the local Shriner organizations raise money is through participation in parades throughout small town America. Shrine organizations are broken down into geographical areas, each having their own headquarters called Temples. Each Temple has units of participation such as clowns, bands, cars, motorcycles or Calliopes. My husband, Gary, belongs to the Tin Lizzy Patrol, out of Mohammed Temple in Peoria, Illinois. The Tin Lizzies participate in 20-30 parades each year, beginning with Memorial Day weekend and ending with December holiday parades. Each Shriner pays all expenses for his unit and all donations received are for the benefit of the hospitals.

I attend most of the parades with a few other wives or family members and never tire of watching the huge smiles on the faces of the Shriners as they wheel their miniature cars around in various formations delighting the crowds.

Through the generosity of these men and of donors everywhere Shriners hospitals have been able to help over one million children reach their potential and lead more fulfilling lives, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Mary, a former educator and Senior Real Estate Specialist, is the author of three books, Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance, The West End Kid, and Labor of Love; My Personal Journey through the World of Caregiving (available at www.amazon.com)