By Sherrie Norris
Forty young patients in the High Country region are currently
receiving treatment at a Shriners hospital, said Debi Crenshaw,
Oasis Shriners hospital/membership coordinator, speaking from
her Charlotte headquarters office.
“There are 11 children and youth from Avery County, eight
from Watauga and 21 from Ashe. Our hospitals treat burns, orthopedic
problems, cleft lip/palate, scoliosis, and a number of other medical
problems,” she said.
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“Shriners
hospitals for children are open to children regardless
of their race, religion, or relationship to a Shriner.”
- Debi Crenshaw,
Oasis Shriners hospital/membership coordinator
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Local Shriner Robert Denton of Boone said, “It doesn’t
cost a cent for our local families who need help for their children
to get the medical care they need.”
Representing the Appalachian Shrine Club, a member of the OASIS
Temple in Charlotte, Denton and fellow Shriners in the Boone area
have been involved for many years in the organization’s support
of burned and crippled children, and want to remind the public
of the services available.
“We’ll even provide transportation or help pay for gas
for families to get back and forth,” Denton said.
Denton and longtime fellow Shriner and current club president
Ben Strickland wants to share with the community about the impact
that Shriners hospitals has on local families.
Located in nearly every corner of the country and beyond, these
facilities provide specialized treatment to children and youth;
the two facilities most frequented by families in the High Country
are located in Greenville S.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Shriners hospitals for children is a network of 22 facilities
offering specialized medical care to children, and they are located
throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Eighteen of the 22 Shriners hospitals provide comprehensive pediatric
orthopedic care to children, including outpatient and inpatient
care, diagnostic services, surgical and medical care, casts and
braces, prosthetics, X-rays, rehabilitation, recreation and continuing
education. Children from infancy to their 18th birthday may be
eligible for treatment if, in the opinion of the chief of staff,
there is a reasonable possibility that treatment will benefit
the child.
“Shriners hospitals for children are open to children regardless
of their race, religion, or relationship to a Shriner. There is
never a charge to the patient or parent for any service or medical
treatment received at Shriners hospitals,” Crenshaw said.
Oasis Shriners trace their history back to 1894, with
their first meeting held in downtown Charlotte on Jan.18, 1895.
The first Oasis Shrine parade occurred on May 17, 1898 in Raleigh,
by which time Oasis was 173 members strong and representation
stretched across both Carolinas.
In the minutes of the ceremonial, it was noted that initiates
“crossed the hot sands.”
Oasis continued to grow as the Shrine of North America grew,
with 82 temples and more than 55,000 members by the turn of
the century, all represented at the 1900 imperial session in
Washington D.C., where President William McKinley stood on the
parade viewing stand.
In the 18 years following, the Shrine organization expanded
into Mexico and the Republic of Panama and many of the organization’s
traditions began, such as the first Shrine circus in Detroit
in 1906 and the expansion of philanthropy.
Shriners contributed $25,000 to earthquake victims in San Francisco
in 1906 and gave $10,000 for the relief of European war victims,
both considered enormous sums at the time.
But what would be known as “The World’s Greatest Philanthropy,”
the Shriners hospitals for children emerged as the organization’s
No. 1 cause in 1920 when the imperial resolution established
the “Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children,” supported
by a $2 per member assessment.
The cornerstone was laid for the first hospital in 1922 in Shreveport,
La. Five years later, the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children
in Greenville, S.C., opened, and by 1997, the network, as described
above, made up the system, now known as Shriners Hospitals for
Children, providing orthopedic, burn and spinal care for children
around the world.
As the local coordinator for Shriner services, Robert
Denton of Boone said, “Regardless of insurance coverage
or financial status, Shriners hospitals provide excellent care
for these children who meet the medical criteria. The referral
must be doctor recommended and a Shriner must be involved in
helping with the application, which is a simple process.”
Funded through the Shriners’ newspaper drive held the first
weekend of every May, in addition to the sale of participating
business plaques, the hospitals are the major focus of the Shrine
club. “We also sponsor the annual Shrine Bowl,” Denton
said. “And we are happy to say that we have a player from
right here in Boone, Eric Breitenstein, who has been chosen
to play in that game this year.”
Several of the local Shriners participated in the recent ceremony
at Watauga High School recognizing Breitenstein for his selection
and will hopefully attend the upcoming game.
Much of the local Shrine club’s success related to the
children’s hospitals, Denton said, goes to George Flowers,
who coordinated the services “for many years and did an
outstanding job.”
One of Flowers’ main objectives, aside from making sure
the local children received proper care, was his organization
in hosting an annual cookout to honor the children and their
families who received treatment from the hospitals.
“We’ve let that slide for the last few years, but
we’re planning to get that going again in the spring,”
Denton said.
He also cites Randy Vines, chair of the annual paper sale, for
his efforts.
“It is an honor for me to be involved in this,” Vines
said. “I’m like a friend of mine who says he’s
not very good at begging, but when it comes to this, I don’t
mind. What makes it special is having someone come by and make
a donation, telling us how they had been helped themselves by
Shriners and know what a difference it made in their lives.”
Twelve-year-old Caleb Isaacs is one of those young people from
the area currently receiving treatment at Shriners hospitals,
and has been since he was 3 months old. His mother said she
is happy that the Shriners are getting the attention they deserve,
happy to share her son’s story. (See accompanying article).
The Appalachian Shrine Club meets at Golden Corral on the second
Tuesday of every month.
For more information on Shriners hospitals, or if you know of
someone who may quality for services and needs an application,
contact Robert Denton at (828) 264-3851 or Ben Strickland at
(828) 264-2320, locally; or Debi Crenshaw, Oasis Shriners Headquarters
in Charlotte, at (800) 226-2747, ext.222).
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