Every spring, Kennedy Krieger Institute hosts ROAR for Kids, a fundraising event benefiting research and programs at the Institute. The event features a 5K run, low-mileage walk and family festival, making it a day filled with fun and creating new memories with family and friends. ROAR for Kids is also the perfect opportunity for departments and programs to raise money for specific initiatives. And, it gives donors the opportunity to look at what each program is raising money for, and then select the opportunity that means the most to them. It’s a win-win for all involved!
In 2017, staff and family members at Kennedy Krieger’s Fairmount school campus truly rallied around the ROAR for Kids fundraising initiative. Through a lot of time, hard work and dedication, the school was able to raise nearly $10,000, and just two weeks ago, it unveiled the adaptive rock-climbing wall for which the funds were raised. This piece of equipment is imperative to the school, because weather can impact students’ opportunities to play outside. An indoor fitness activity means students still have an outlet for their energy and an opportunity to decompress after a hard day of learning. Not only does a rock-climbing wall provide a fun outlet, “it also builds character by teaching problem-solving and decision-making skills in an individual environment,” says Shelly Ritchie, the school’s curriculum, instruction and assessment coordinator.
What makes the rock-climbing wall especially unique is the fact that it is fully adaptive. Some aspects of the wall are especially easy, while others can be quite challenging. The wall is also magnetic, so students who use wheelchairs are still able to interact with games, vocabulary words and pictures placed and arranged on the magnetic background. This would not have been possible without the support of ROAR for Kids event donors, registrants and sponsors. Thank you!
Want to find out what the Fairmount school campus and 13 of the other Institute programs are raising money for this year? Be sure to visit the ROAR for Kids event page to learn more—we hope to see you there!
