Springfield Jr. Blues athletic trainer Devin Spears of ATI Physical Therapy teamed up with Springfield to raise $556 for the ATI Foundation. The ATI Foundation supports children with physical disabilities. In 2017 the Foundation raised more than 1 million dollars, reaching more than 700 beneficiaries. Children received equipment not covered by insurance and financial assistance for medical services. Other expenses covered by the ATI Foundation include funding therapeutic horseback riding, and funding for travel and lodging for families traveling from out-of-state for care.
So why is the Foundation calling their quest the “Klimb4Kids”? From the ATI Foundation website “On March 18, ATI CEO Dylan Bates and longtime friend Matt Smith, will embark on a 6-day, 40-mile mountaineer’s journey to the 19,341 ft. summit of Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. Adding to the stakes, Dylan and Matt are pledging to raise $1 million for children with physical impairments through the ATI Foundation. The journey will not be without its challenges, but with your support, hundreds of children across the nation will be given the building blocks to offer a better quality of life.”
In 2018, ATI Foundation set a goal to raise 2 million dollars to erase their waiting list of 100 children in need, while also allowing them to build a foundation for future children in need with their organization. Each employee was tasked with raising $100 or more toward the foundation.
When athletic trainer Devin Spears, who works for ATI Physical Therapy in Springfield, asked the Springfield Jr. Blues for help in raising money for the cause, team owner Dan Ferguson stepped up to the plate and offered to give 100% of the profit from the sale of the team throwback vintage logo t-shirts to the ATI Foundation on behalf of Spears for any shirt sold in March. In the end, Ferguson wrote a check to ATI Foundation for $556 dollars, surpassing the $100 goal set by ATI for their employees.
To make a donation or nominate a beneficiary, visit the ATI Foundation website.
