RAMP Wheel-A-Thon raises money, awareness

July 27--FREEPORT -- About 100 people participated in a walk-a-thon with a twist Thursday, as individuals both with and without disabilities journeyed through a 2-mile route in wheelchairs.

The 19th annual Stephenson County RAMP Wheel-A-Thon was at Highland Community College to raise money for the organization, as well as raise awareness for individuals with disabilities. While some people chose to walk, others opted for wheelchairs.

"There are some individuals that go on the route who use a wheelchair everyday, but there are others that are going out there and using a wheelchair to kind of see what the experience is and understand a little bit more," said Autumn Kubatzke, Stephenson County RAMP manager.

Jessica Currier and Kristen Book both work in FHN's rehab services department and participated in the event to increase awareness and show support for their patients. They got a more realistic look at the challenges of using a wheelchair than a participant would get during most Wheel-A-Thons, as many of Highland's sidewalks are under construction.

"We all took a turn in the chair and with the construction it's difficult to get over the bumps and the crevices," Currier said. "That's someone else's every day. It's our one-time irritation."

There is a lack of living space and wheelchair-accessible housing for people with disabilities in Stephenson County, as well as a general lack of awareness of the struggles those who live with a disabilities face, Currier and Book said.

"I think there's always room for more awareness and for people to truly see the challenges that individuals face every day for doing tasks that most of us take for granted," Book said.

To join the event, participants had to raise at least $25. It is the Stephenson County RAMP office's biggest fundraiser of the year, and supports the information and referral services as well as the independent living skills training RAMP provides. This year's fundraising goal was $22,000.

New to the event was a community resources expo, which brought 24 local organizations to Highland to show community members the services available in the county.

"We wanted to have the community resource expo to show that collaboration with the community, and also to make sure that people are aware of all the resources we do have," Kubatzke said. "There are a lot of resources in our community that I don't think people are always aware of."

Derrick Mason: 815-232-0133; derrick.mason@journalstandard.com; @derrickhmason

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