A six-foot, fall-themed tree donated by RiverLedge Assistant Administrator Stacey Canizzo is being raffled off to raise funds in conjunction with the 2015 Prediction Walk/Run.
In addition to a variety of fall-themed decorations, the tree is also adorned with more than $50 in New York Lottery instant scratch-off tickets that were donated by various employees from the United Helpers organization.
The tree will be on display at RiverLedge with tickets available at RiverLedge, Maplewood and the United Helpers Management Building starting on Oct. 1. Tickets will be $1 a piece, 6 for $5 or 13 for $10.
The tree will also be displayed on Oct. 24 during the annual Prediction Walk/Run and Wellness Fair at SUNY Canton. The drawing will be held that day. You do not need to be present to win.
It's not unusual for us to receive notes or letters from patients or clients thanking us for the impact United Helpers has had in their life.
Usually the notes will say something to the effect of, "thanks for helping me get back on my feet" or "thanks for helping me come home once again," but last week we received a note from a patient thanking us for something much deeper.
Those words follow...
"To the Maplewood Therapy Team
I would like you to know that you really did put hope back in my life. There is nothing more disorienting than the vertigo I was suffering from. Your healing touch truly added stability to my life. I can look through the window and the world is not spinning."
The note was also accompanied by the following poem...
Pictured are some of the runners/walkers from the 1st annual Run/Walk in 2011
The Society of the United Helpers Oktoberfest "Costumed" Prediction Run/Walk event is scheduled for Oct. 24 at SUNY Canton with registration at 9 a.m.
Walkers will begin at 10 a.m. with runners taking off at 10:30 a.m.
Participants are encouraged to wear a costume. The participation fee is $20 or
a minimum of $20 in pledges. Those collecting $50 in pledges will receive a free
moisture wicking event long-sleeved shirt.
In addition to the Run/Walk, the United Helpers Wellness Committee and SUNY Canton EAP will host a Wellness Fair from 9:00 am to 11:00 am inside Dana Hall. Wellness Fair participants include Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, ENI-EAP (Employee
Assistance Program), Hospice & Palliative Care of the St. Lawrence Valley,
Key Bank, NCPPC (North Country Prenatal Perinatal Council Insurance Programs),
Seaway Valley Prevention Council (Reality Check of St. Lawrence County), United
Helpers Physical Therapy and PIYO with Angela Burke.
For more information about the Run/Walk or Wellness Fair, contact the United Helpers Management Company at (315) 393-3074.
HEUVELTON
– After missing much of last year’s soccer, all of cheerleading and the
majority of softball season Heuvelton’s Sydney Thornhill is back on the field
following physical therapy at United Helpers RiverLedge Campus in Ogdensburg.
Ms.
Thornhill was injured last fall during a soccer game, suffering from a torn
meniscus that required surgery.
“I fell
on it wrong and I knew right then something had happened,” she said. “After the
surgery they told me it was worse than they expected it to be, so they said the
recovery time was going to be six months.”
However,
Ms. Thornhill was back on her feet and cleared to again compete after just four
months, returning in time for the end of softball season.
United
Helpers Physical Therapy Assistant Joseph R. Longshore said that was the goal
heading into therapy.
“We
wanted to get her back to playing softball, soccer and cheerleading,” he said.
When
asked to describe her therapy, Ms. Thornhill said it wasn’t easy, but at the
same time it was fun and just what she needed.
“Brett
(Physical Therapist Brett C. Amo) and Joe really worked me hard, but it was fun
while we did it,” she said. “They got my confidence up and helped me build up
the muscle in my legs so I would be ready to come back.”
Now
that fall sports have started including, soccer, football, volleyball, cross
country and swimming, Mr. Longshore said the need for physical therapy amongst
the area’s youth is sure to increase.
“Sports
specific injuries are certainly prevalent this time of year,” he said. “We try
to create protocols that are sport specific and get people back to playing the
sports safely that they enjoy.”
As
patients begin their therapy, Mr. Longshore said the therapists and assistants
become cheerleaders themselves.
“At
some point during the therapy after the therapist has set up the protocol we
become cheerleaders,” he said. “We cheerlead and create enthusiasm with the
clients.”
Mr.
Longshore said those protocols include one on one attention that patients may
not always find everywhere else.
“At
United Helpers we have the ability to work one on one with the patients,” he
said. “It’s very rare that we see more than one patient at a time and that’s a
great thing to be able to provide personal care.”
For more
information on therapy services at United Helpers, contact RiverLedge in
Ogdensburg at (315) 393-0730 or Maplewood in Canton at (315) 386-4541.
Members of United Helpers Organizational Leadership Team participating in a community service project last week were tapped to provide an introduction for this week's edition of Busler's Beauties.
Each week WWNY Sports Anchor Mel Busler creates a blooper segment using highlights from the world of sports. The segment is then introduced by a different community group each week.
The introduction, which aired Monday evening during the Channel 7 News, was filmed last week during a community service project in Canton when members of the Organizational Leadership Team scraped and painted the fence surrounding the village's historic Silas Wright Cemetery.
Members of the Organizational Leadership Team and Mosaic Leadership Team each spent a portion of last week giving back to the communities in which they live and work.
On Wednesday, volunteers from the leadership team scraped down and repainted an old wooden fence around the Silas Wright Cemetery in Canton.
While it has been many years since a burial has taken place in the cemetery, many significant historical figures from Canton's past, including Silas Wright, are buried there.
On Friday volunteers from Mosaic, including a resident from Day Hab in Ogdensburg, hit the playground, but rather than swinging and sliding they were putting a fresh coat of stain on the Kid's Kingdom playground.
Kid's Kingdom, which has provided entertainment to generations of children from Ogdensburg and the surrounding communities, is one of the last remaining wooden playgrounds in the area.
Inspired by the dozens of scarecrow-like figures along the roadways of Sehlburne, Vt., United Helpers
Community Housing Manager Jo Anne Ott decided to take on a similar project across the more than 15 housing complexes managed by United Helpers.
Mrs. Ott said she first thought of the idea two years ago, but was cautious to implement it, not sure what others would think. "I was kind of afraid this would just be my baby," she said.
However, she quickly learned that wasn't going to be the case. Each complex has been provided with three "bodies" to decorate using clothing, hats and other accessories provided by that property's residents and staff.
Later this fall, after each complex completes their family of Leaf Peepers, each display will be judged based on creativity and quality, with the winning displays to be announced at a later date.
Each family of Leaf Peepers includes two adults and one child.
To date photos have been received from two UH properties. As additional properties complete their displays and submit photographs, those pictures will too be posted in an album on Facebook. All of the pictures may be seen here. 2015 Leaf Peepers
To read about the Leaf Peepers who started it all, visit the link below from WCAX, a CBS affiliate based in Burlington, Vt. Leaf Peepers' Story
From left, SeaComm Associates Danielle Uppstrom, United Helpers Development Director Lori Smithers, Seacomm Branch Manager Amy Hartford and United Helpers Human Resource Manager Jean Rowe.
OGDENSBURG - Donations have begun coming in for the 2015 Prediction Walk/Run to be held at SUNY Canton on Oct. 24. Making the first donation of the year was the SeaComm Federal Credit Union, who contributed $250 to the event. The second donation, $1,001, came from Benefit Services Group. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Walkers will begin at 10 a.m. with runners taking off at 10:30 a.m. Participation is open to people of all ages and all entrants are encouraged to wear a costume, although costumes are not required. The participation fee is $20 or a minimum of $20 in pledges. Those collecting $50 in pledges will receive a free moisture wicking event t-shirt. To obtain your pledge form, please visit the link below.
RiverLedge Resident Betty Dier draws the $5,000 ticket Friday afternoon during a live broadcast with Dave Merz from 96.7 YESFM. RiverLedge Activities Director Larry Worden reacts after seeing who won the prize.
OGDENSBURG - Close to 1,500 tickets were sold for the inaugural Society of the United Helpers Raffle for the Residents, with more than $9,000 in prizes being awarded.
The grand prize of $5,000 went to Bill LaFlair, of Ogdensburg. Second prize and $2,500 went to the Fox & Murray Funeral Home in Ogdensburg. Third prize and $1,000 went to Carmen Paone, of Potsdam.
Also receiving prizes were Neil Harper, of Lisbon, who won $500 and Robert Burns, of Potsdam, who won $100.
The drawing raised nearly $5,500 for the Society, which in turn provides funding for purchases and activities that benefit the residents of United Helpers and the people we serve.
A six-foot, fall-themed tree donated by RiverLedge Assistant Administrator Stacey Canizzo is being raffled off to raise funds in conjunction with the 2015 Prediction Walk/Run.
