Tennis Initiative For Kids Starts In Tampa
Schools and recreational programs have long supported sports like football and basketball, but there’s a new one to add to the roster, at least in Hillsborough County: tennis. Hillsborough County […]
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13 Ugly Men Pay For Playground At TGH Clinic
Thanks to a group of self-proclaimed ugly men, children visiting Tampa General's Pediatric Clinic Healthpark have a new place to play.The 13 Ugly Men Foundation, a nonprofit charity "party" group comprised of doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs, donated $18,000 from the proceeds of its last Halloween party to the Tampa General Hospital Foundation to fund a playground for children visiting the hospital for medical care.The new fenced-in playground is between the hospital's Pediatric Clinic and Genesis buildings at 5802 N. 30th Street. The area, which is set under a group of big trees, includes benches and a brightly colored piece of playground equipment with slides. A loudspeaker will be installed soon to page families when it's time for their appointment. Robin DeLaVergne, executive director of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, says the playground meets a need created by recent expansion at the clinic."We had expanded the clinical space," explains DeLaVergne, "And the only way we could do that was to take the children's waiting room away. So we built the playground for the kids. Now visiting children and their families can go outside and play while they wait for their appointments."About 900 children are treated at the Pediatric Clinic each month. The 13 Ugly Men Foundation hosts special events and parties in the Tampa Bay region. Proceeds go toward a variety of organizations that benefit the community. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Robin DeLaVergne, Tampa General Hospital Foundation
USF “Speech Party” Helps Stutterers Connect
With the growing success of the Oscar nominated film The King's Speech, more awareness is being brought to stuttering and the ramifications it creates for people.For children and adults who struggle with stuttering, there will be an event on Feb. 26 hosted by the Tampa Bay chapter of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) along with the USF Speech Clinic known as a "Speech Party."The term "speech party" came from a child who previously attended the annual Youth Day for Children Who Stutter event. The purpose of the event is to elevate awareness as well as to show children and their care givers that they are in lots of good company. According to Nathan Maxfield, a USF assistant professor and speech-language pathologist, the event gives kids a chance to "normalize" their stuttering by meeting and spending time with other kids who stutter. "This event sets aside one day each year for kids who stutter to come together and spend time with each other without the fear associated with stuttering," says Maxfield. Maxfield says the event will include workshops for kids and for parents. Workshops for kids allow children to share their experiences, learn how to deal with bullying and explore their strengths beyond stuttering. The workshops for parents also give a platform to share experiences, as well as become educated on stuttering, coping strategies and modern-day speech therapy. According to Maxfield stuttering is highly treatable. "There is often an emotional component to stuttering, and events like the Youth Day, as well as self-help meetings for adults at USF go a long way in helping people cope with those emotional issues," he says. The Youth Day for Children Who Stutter event will be at USF's Marshall Center on Saturday, Feb. 26. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Nathan Maxfield, University of South Florida
13 Ugly Men Pay For Playground At TGH Clinic
Thanks to a group of self-proclaimed ugly men, children visiting Tampa General's Pediatric Clinic Healthpark have a new place to play.The 13 Ugly Men Foundation, a nonprofit charity "party" group comprised of doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs, donated $18,000 from the proceeds of its last Halloween party to the Tampa General Hospital Foundation to fund a playground for children visiting the hospital for medical care.The new fenced-in playground is between the hospital's Pediatric Clinic and Genesis buildings at 5802 N. 30th Street. The area, which is set under a group of big trees, includes benches and a brightly colored piece of playground equipment with slides. A loudspeaker will be installed soon to page families when it's time for their appointment. Robin DeLaVergne, executive director of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, says the playground meets a need created by recent expansion at the clinic."We had expanded the clinical space," explains DeLaVergne, "And the only way we could do that was to take the children's waiting room away. So we built the playground for the kids. Now visiting children and their families can go outside and play while they wait for their appointments."About 900 children are treated at the Pediatric Clinic each month. The 13 Ugly Men Foundation hosts special events and parties in the Tampa Bay region. Proceeds go toward a variety of organizations that benefit the community. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Robin DeLaVergne, Tampa General Hospital Foundation
USF “Speech Party” Helps Stutterers Connect
With the growing success of the Oscar nominated film The King's Speech, more awareness is being brought to stuttering and the ramifications it creates for people.For children and adults who struggle with stuttering, there will be an event on Feb. 26 hosted by the Tampa Bay chapter of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) along with the USF Speech Clinic known as a "Speech Party."The term "speech party" came from a child who previously attended the annual Youth Day for Children Who Stutter event. The purpose of the event is to elevate awareness as well as to show children and their care givers that they are in lots of good company. According to Nathan Maxfield, a USF assistant professor and speech-language pathologist, the event gives kids a chance to "normalize" their stuttering by meeting and spending time with other kids who stutter. "This event sets aside one day each year for kids who stutter to come together and spend time with each other without the fear associated with stuttering," says Maxfield. Maxfield says the event will include workshops for kids and for parents. Workshops for kids allow children to share their experiences, learn how to deal with bullying and explore their strengths beyond stuttering. The workshops for parents also give a platform to share experiences, as well as become educated on stuttering, coping strategies and modern-day speech therapy. According to Maxfield stuttering is highly treatable. "There is often an emotional component to stuttering, and events like the Youth Day, as well as self-help meetings for adults at USF go a long way in helping people cope with those emotional issues," he says. The Youth Day for Children Who Stutter event will be at USF's Marshall Center on Saturday, Feb. 26. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Nathan Maxfield, University of South Florida
