Students Handcraft 100 Pairs of Crutches
STOW, OHIO—February 19, 2010—Inspired by news reports of Haitians in need of medical supplies, Stow-Munroe Falls High School (SMFHS) teacher Garrett Mattes and 30 advanced wood working students sought a way to help earthquake victims. By designing and building 100 pairs of crutches to send to Haiti, students not only learned the lesson of designing a project from start to finish, but also a valuable lesson about giving to the less fortunate and people in need.
From the beginnings of a flow chart designed to keep work order moving smoothly, students handcrafted the crutches to aid in the support of much needed medical supplies and completed their build within a two-week time period.
“Everybody was involved with planning,” said Mattes. “We had a good group of students who took the time to do a nice job. Some of the students have a new understanding of Haiti in relation to its proximity to the United States and how close to us this really is.”
After developing the concept of the crutches, Mattes contacted Hartville Hardware and requested donations of lumber, screws, nuts and bolts. The hardware store was more than willing to support the initiative; they supplied all of the materials and had them delivered to SMFHS within a week of request.
MedWish International, a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization, will ship the crutches to Haiti before the end of the month.
“This is a wonderful example of young people seeing others in need and taking action to help,” said Dr. Russell Jones, superintendent. “I applaud their efforts and thank Mr. Mattes for putting the entire project together.”
The Stow-Munroe Falls School District is rated Excellent with Distinction by the Ohio Department of Education, an honor held by 116 school districts out of 613 statewide. For more information, visit www.smfschools.org.
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