Avery County Shrine Club Facts And Figures Shriners Hospital 2002 facts and figures that the Avery County Shrine Club would like to share with the residents of Avery County: For over 80 years, Shriners Hospitals for Children have provided some of the best medical care in the world, totally free of charge, to more than 700,000 children with orthopaedic problems, severe burns and spinal cord injuries. Founded in 1922, and today supported by the members of the international Shrine fraternity, this network of pediatric specialty hospitals are located across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Shriners Hospital closest to Avery County is located in Greenville, SC. The orthopaedic Shriners Hospitals are dedicated to providing specialized medical and rehabilitative services to children with congenital deformities, problems resulting from orthopaedic injuries, and diseases of the muscoskeletal system. Some of the most commonly treated disorders include club foot, limb deficiencies and discrepancies, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), cleft lip and palate, craniofacial abnormalities, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and problems related to spina bifida, cerebral palsy, dwarfism and muscular dystrophy. The orthopaedic hospitals in Chicago, Philadelphia and Sacramento also provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation. If you know of any child in Avery County who needs such medical care, please contact Melvin Jones, President of Avery County Shrine Club at 828/297-2581 or Hobert Church, Jr. Hospital Coordinator, at 898-4818. Members of the Avery County Shrine Club will shortly be contacting those of you who have Oasis Shriners plaques to affix the 2003 renewal bars. Any business or private individual interested in obtaining a plaque ($25, $50, $100, $500, or $1000 annual donation) can contact James Garland at 733-4223 (or any other Shriner whom you know).