Support Group Leader Supports Prosthetic Parity

Pebbles :: You can be the pebble in the pond

September 2009 Volume 1, Issue 3 :: A Quarterly Publication of the Amputee Coalition

Support Group Leader Supports Prosthetic Parity

A motorcycle and a straight flush of playing cards People are simply in disbelief when Sherri Ridgway of Little Egg Harbor, NJ, tells them that she is an amputee. She attributes this to having had the same prosthetist for 28 years and the right prosthesis that enables her to walk with a natural gait. Because of these factors, she is active and well-adjusted. She knows that other people do not always have the same fortunate experience with getting adequate access to prosthetic care, which is why she organized a fundraiser for efforts to pass The Prosthetic & Custom Orthotic Act.

And this was some fundraiser! A “Motorcycle Poker Run” to be exact. At this event, riders started at one point, and then made several stops along the 60 mile course. At each stop, riders were greeted by an amputee and were given a playing card. At the finish, whoever had the best poker hands won.

To cut down on event costs, prizes were donated by local businesses. They included a Harley Davidson hibachi & $20 gift card donated by Mike's Harley Davidson Store in Galloway, NJ, and an iPod and a $15 iTunes gift certificate donated by Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics.

Sherri also got her employer, The Health Center at Galloway, to donate donuts and coffee for the first stop and the water handed out at the other stops. She arranged for the five stops to be at local taverns, inns and a VFW post. McKee's Irish Pub in Egg Harbor City prepared a nice buffet of food for the riders at the last stop, where a band played and the prizes were given.

In addition to volunteers, 32 riders participated in this event and $750 was raised for Prosthetic Parity. Sherri, who does not ride a motorcycle herself, learned about this type of event from a friend. She reached out through local networks to spread the word and was touched by all the people who wanted to help get this event off the ground. “People just love to help,” she says. “When I told them what I was doing, they would just ask how to get involved.” Through word of mouth she was able to get local media coverage.

She also leveraged her personal contacts and those of the support group she leads, One Step At a Time. Sherri is the Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Health Center. In the course of her day-to-day business, she makes contact with amputees and healthcare professionals, including doctors of rehabilitation, physical therapists, psychologists for people with disabilities and prosthetists. She is always sure to tell them about the support group, and more recently, the Poker Run.

Because of Sherri’s determination and creativity, this event was a huge success for One Step At a Time and the Prosthetic and Orthotic Parity Act. She plans to grow the event and do it again in the spring.

Pebbles is partially supported by cooperative agreement #5U59DD000347 from the National Center on Birth Defects and Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC, the sponsoring organizations, or the Amputee Coalition. It is not the intention of the Amputee Coalition to provide specific medical advice but rather to provide readers with information to better understand their health and healthcare issues. The Amputee Coalition does not endorse any specific treatment, technology, company or device. Consumers are urged to consult with their healthcare providers for specific medical advice or before making any purchasing decisions involving their care. No funding from the CDC is used to support Amputee Coalition advocacy efforts. ©2009 by Amputee Coalition; all rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the Amputee Coalition.

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Last updated: 05/01/2012

*This Web site is partially supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC, the sponsoring organizations, or the Amputee Coalition. No funding from the CDC is used to support Amputee Coalition advocacy efforts.