Senate Resolution 147 - Introduced PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY JOHNSON 1 3 A Resolution recognizing and honoring the work of 1 4 Easter Seals and its efforts to help persons with 1 5 disabilities. 1 6 WHEREAS, in 1919, Edgar Allen founded what became 1 7 known as the National Society for Crippled Children, 1 8 and in 1934 the organization launched its first Easter 1 9 "seals" campaign to raise money for its services. In 1 10 1967 the organization formally adopted the name 1 11 "Easter Seals"; and 1 12 WHEREAS, today, 54 million Americans live with a 1 13 disability, and Easter Seals has been helping those 1 14 individuals and their families live better lives for 1 15 more than 80 years; and 1 16 WHEREAS, Easter Seals Iowa helps children and 1 17 adults with disabilities across Iowa by providing 1 18 child care, medical equipment loans, job training and 1 19 employment services, and camping, recreation, and 1 20 respite care; and 1 21 WHEREAS, Easter Seals Iowa runs a program called 1 22 Rural Solutions, a program for farmers who are 1 23 disabled and want to remain farming their land; and 1 24 WHEREAS, the work of Easter Seals Iowa and Rural 1 25 Solutions can be seen in the success story of Ryan 1 26 Odens of Little Rock, Iowa, who operates his family 1 27 farm even though he is a quadriplegic; and 1 28 WHEREAS, Mr. Odens was injured in a rollover 1 29 accident in the summer of 2000, but after intensive 1 30 therapy he returned to his farm in less than one year, 2 1 and through the assistance of Easter Seals Rural 2 2 Solutions and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, 2 3 Mr. Odens' tractors and combines were retrofitted with 2 4 platform lifts to raise him up to the cab, his home 2 5 was remodeled so that he can continue to live 2 6 independently, and he now uses a specially designed, 2 7 all=terrain vehicle to move around the farm, check 2 8 crops, and inspect livestock; and 2 9 WHEREAS, Mr. Odens now serves as the Easter Seals 2 10 National Adult Ambassador for the United States; NOW 2 11 THEREFORE, 2 12 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate, with 2 13 great respect, honors Easter Seals for more than eight 2 14 decades of service to the disabled; and 2 15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate thanks Ryan 2 16 Odens for sharing his story of hope and recovery with 2 17 Iowa and the nation. 2 18 LSB 6638SS 81 2 19 jr:nh/sh/8 1