GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic is preparing to host a fundraiser featuring a spaghetti dinner and silent auction.
The pandemic has been a trying time for the clinic, but they’ve stayed busy and provided free therapy for about 130 kids each week.
Board president Tom Duffy says the spaghetti dinner is a big part of the clinic and the staff is excited to reunite with the community during the dinner.
“It’s really been our teachers here that have pulled us through this because they meet with 130 kids a week. We wanted to make sure we had the tools to continue so we would stay open. With the spaghetti dinner we have people that donate the hamburger, the sauce, the spaghetti, and the biggest thing is the time involved that people contribute.”
What services does the clinic provide?
Diagnostic Evaluations: Through gathering background information, observation, play and structured testing, a speech-language pathologist helps to determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of speech and language and recommends an appropriate course of treatment.
Speech and Language Therapy: Therapy sessions are tailored to your child's individual needs. Parents participate or observe sessions and receive information and materials to work with their child at home. Therapy sessions are usually once per week for thirty minutes.
Feeding Therapy: Our clinicians are trained to provide feeding intervention for children with developmental, sensory and/or motor feeding challenges.
Fees: All services including evaluation and therapy are provided FREE of charge to all families. Tax deductible donations are gladly accepted.
Not only is it the first dinner in several years, it’s also Scottish Rite’s 30th anniversary, and the clinic is expecting a big turnout given their relationship with patients and the community.
They are raffling off a $3,000 travel voucher or cash equivalent. Clinic director Molly Beck estimated the last in person dinner raised a total of around $35,000 and is expecting this year’s dinner to bring in a similar amount.
“We really run a lean and mean operation to make sure that as much money as we can stays here at the clinic and goes back to helping kids. We would not be able to run this fundraiser without the volunteer support and the community support and sponsors that have provided you know the pasta and the meat and funds to make this possible. It would not be the success it is,” Beck said.
The nonprofit clinic has been able to support families and families can return the favor and support the clinic for the impact they have on kids and their learning. Dawn O’Leary and her son Declan have been with the clinic for almost six months. Dawn can already tell there is significant progress with his speech and communication.
“His language has really cleared up. He’s a lot easier to understand. In our family we probably understand him pretty well because we’re around him all the time, but I’ve noticed that other people can understand him more often that his speech is clearer and his pronunciation is getting more consistent,” Dawn said.
Declan said his favorite part is playing games. “My favorite game is pop the pig. You feed this pig burgers. Oink!” Declan exclaimed.
SPAGHETTI DINNER/SILENT AUCTION
When: Thursday, March 31 from 5-8 pm
Where: 1304 13th Street South (Scottish Rite Building)
Cost: $15 a person. Children 6 and under are free
For more information, visit the website, or call 406-727-1088.
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