College - Author 1
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department - Author 1
Agricultural Education and Communication Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Agricultural Communication
Date
3-2018
Primary Advisor
Megan Silcott
Abstract/Summary
As advanced as society has become in technology and medicine, children are still affected with a multitude of incurable diseases. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it can be a financial burden for the family in addition to the downfalls of a patient suffering from that disease (Christos, 2015). For a family to manage the toll cancer puts on them, they need assistance to relieve them financially and emotionally. “Jack’s Helping Hand (JHH) was created to assist children in the community with cancer and special needs who have unmet physical, mental and medical needs,” (Jack’s Helping Hand, 2018). This project is coordinating a fundraiser that will financially help the children in JHH. It will be held during Cal Poly’s prestigious Poly Royal college rodeo, while the Cal Poly Rodeo Team gave JHH children a presentation.
Based out of San Luis Obispo, JHH is a local non-profit organization which, “provides assistance for children suffering from medical diseases such as cancer” (Borges, 2018). One of JHH’s services is a therapeutic horsemanship program called Little Riders. Being around horses has health benefits for body motion, can reduce feelings of tension, anger, and stress and encourage communication (Michigan State University, 2013). For the past year, the Cal Poly Rodeo Program has teamed up with JHH, putting on a “special rodeo” for JHH children to compete in. While the event provides a healthy and fun activity for the kids to enjoy, Little Riders and a special rodeo do not address the financial stress families are pressured by. Extensive medical bills can begin to become a burden on their lives, an average family with a child suffering from cancer is spending about 5.7% of their weekly budget on medical bills (Lansky, et al,1983).
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/agedsp/116