Press Release, you see it first

I am not sure when or if this will make the paper, so I wanted to share it with you. This is a press release about our efforts specifically at the VBTC to support the MOD's mission.

Press Release- For Immediate Release
March of Dimes Fundraiser Nets Over $1,000.00 for “Team Gunner”

Lawrence- Health Academy Instructor Karen Obreiter rallied her students to participate in a March of Dimes Fundraiser this year. The Health Academy consists of four college level classes including Medical Terminology, Introductory Psychology, Human Growth and Learning and Interpersonal Communications. Students may receive high school credit for these classes and, if they meet the criteria, may earn up to twelve college credits through Southwestern Michigan College, It was a weeklong fundraiser, to raise money for the March of Dimes, an organization that supports healthy babies and safe pregnancies. Because the goal was to help raise money for safe and healthy babies, the contest that they sponsored was a “Cutest Baby Contest,” in which people could drop money in a can positioned behind a picture of seven beautiful babies, the idea being that you were voting for this darling baby that was pictured in front of the can with the slot. The class named the drive “Team Gunner,” after Christi Young’s son Gunner, born in June 2009. Christi is the Social Work Program Advisor of the Social Sciences Division at Southwestern Michigan College, and Karen Obreiter’s Lead Instructor for the classes here at the Van Buren Technology Center. Christi Young had experienced a traumatic series of events during her pregnancy, including having her water break at 28 weeks. Hospitalized at 28 weeks, she was kept in bed for the remainder of her pregnancy, which ended at 33 weeks, putting Gunner into the NICU for the next six weeks. Because of his early birth, Gunner required extensive medical intervention to develop to the point where he could live on his own. Karen’s classes studied these subjects, including premature and post mature births and birth defects in Human Growth and Learning, and the medical terms related to the female reproductive system in Medical Terminology course. Many of the medical interventions that were available to Gunner were the result of progress developed in part by funding for research from the March of Dimes. Additionally, Christi came to the classes at the Van Buren Technology Center with a powerpoint presentation on premature births, possible complications and potential preventive measures.

While the classes had a most modest goal of raising $150.00 for the March of Dimes, the Van Buren Intermediate School District and the Technology Center NEVER go small on anything. Students and staff alike are blessed with enthusiasm for every cause, and this cause, “Team Gunner” was no different. On the first day, they blew by the $150.00 goal, and by the end of the week had a total of $1,065.83. Bethany Milnickel, from Watervliet, went to her Principal, and asked if they could raise money at Watervliet High School for “Team Gunner” and the March of Dimes. With his blessing, the Watervliet High School held a “Hat and Pajama” Day where students could donate $2.00 to wear either a hat or pajamas to school that day. Watervliet, and Bethany raised $120.00 to add to “Team Gunner” for that extra effort! The Cutest Baby Contest raised $487.08, with little Henry Barber raking in $191.00 to lead the baby contest and Gavin Vegter brought in $121 as first runner-up. Adding in the Southwestern Michigan College donations to “Team Gunner,” we have a total of over $3,000.00 for the March of Dimes.

Additionally, students from Early Childhood Care Education, Fundamentals of Patient Care, and Health Academy all walked in the March of Dimes March march for babies on April 17th 2010. At the walk, students met families with healthy babies that had been born early as well as families of babies that did not survive their premature birth. As a result of their fundraiser and walk, these young people may be more empathic and compassionate health care professionals in the future. These students all participated in a cause that annually saves the life of many babies around the nation, although they set their sites around one little baby close to home.