Coatesville, Pa - Ralph Showalter knows firsthand the difficulties that face a person with Cerebral Palsy. He has lived with it his entire life. Not content to let the condition dictate the quality of his life, Showalter has started a campaign to raise awareness and money for people living with Cerebral Palsy. He has started with the people he knows (and who know him) best – his classmates at the Center for Arts & Technology (CAT) Brandywine Campus.
For the past several months, Showalter and fellow CAT student Will Supplee have been making good use of the marketing skills that they have learned in the school’s Business Academy by planning, promoting and implementing a fundraising and awareness campaign for United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania.
“I know what Cerebral Palsy’s like. I have it,” said Showalter. “I thought it would be nice to inform people about Cerebral Palsy. This seemed like a good way.”
Fellow organizer Will Supplee agreed: “Ralph asked if I could help. I said ‘sure.’ Anything with Ralph is interesting.”
In addition to attending CAT Brandywine, the two young men also go to Octorara Area High School together. They receive their career and technical education at CAT Brandywine and complete their academic coursework at Octorara.
Two of their major fundraisers have netted over $4,000. The two business-savvy, civic-minded teens organized a school-wide car wash and wax, and the “Paws for the Cause” sticker sale. The car wash, which was conducted by students in the automotive technology service program under the direction of instructor Pete Laviola, raised $2035; the sticker sale and other donations brought in an additional $2,122.
As a result, Showalter and Supplee recently presented the United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania with a check for $4,157. However, they aren’t finished yet. The two students are currently planning a school rock-a-thon. The date has not yet been set but plans are in full swing. The event will take place at the school and will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The 12-hour rock-a-thon will include dancing, rock painting, computer games, and more. Showalter and Supplee are in the process of soliciting donations from area businesses for door prizes, and already have many prizes including a DVD player, a digital camera, and gift cards to local stores.
“These are two very caring and committed young men,” said Pamela Przychodzien, Business Academy instructor. “They really worked hard to put this all together. They took the ball and were off and running, and I think the results are extraordinary. We are very proud of Ralph and Will.”
According to UCP of PA’s Web site, the funds will be used to support the mission of United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania to advocate for the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
Showalter and Supplee will present their project at the DECA State Conference in Hershey, Pa., February 28 – March 2, 2007. DECA is an international association of high school and college students studying marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and service.
According to the United Cerebral Palsy Web site, Cerebral Palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development; before, during, or shortly after birth; or during infancy. Thus, these disorders are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupt the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture.
