Arkansas Children’s Hospital received the proceeds from the grant and applied the funds to the Miller McNeil Woodruff Endowment Trust, established by the Woodruff family.

Continuing To Further the Progress

In April 2016, the Whitaker and Woodruff Foundations teamed up again in the 5th annualCupcakes & Cocktails celebration and fundraising event in Miller Woodruff’s honor. Members of the Whitaker Foundation volunteered their time in pre­event preparations and attended the event itself.

During the festivities, guests receive cupcakes with candles as a tribute to Miller Woodruff’s birthday, March 28th. Miller’s father, Patrick Woodruff says, “When 1,000 people sing happy birthday to Miller, it is the highlight of the evening.”

After extinguishing the candles, the event continued to the silent auction portion. Items donated by local businesses went up for bid to participating guests. The amount raised totaled over $210,000.
About Miller McNeil Woodruff

Miller McNeil Woodruff arrived on March 28, 2011. He appeared healthy and thrived for his first few weeks at home. When his developmental reflexes and activity level seemed less advanced than other infants his age, Miller’s parents sought medical attention.

Doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock diagnosed Miller with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in June 2011. The condition occurs in 1 out of every 10,000 babies, but 1 in 50 adults carry the genetic malady. It is the number one cause of death for infants. At the time of his diagnosis, Miller’s parents were unaware of the disease.

Tests revealed that Miller had type 1 SMA, and would not likely reach his first birthday. After weeks of intensive care from medical professionals and his family, he passed away on June 23, 2011.

Recent Advancements In SMA Research

Spinal Muscular Atrophy affects the cells and nerves that control muscle movement, including automatic functions like breathing and swallowing. The genetic mutation that causes SMA inhibits the production of a protein that allows the nerve cells to properly function. Without the protein, muscles, and their corresponding movements diminish. On August 1, 2016, the pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Ionis announced that their collaborative efforts produced a potential treatment for infants with type 1 SMA. After a three­phase trial, the results provided sufficient evidence to file for FDA approval of the medicine.

The companies intend to treat all four types of SMA with their formulations.

Our Role In Research

The Whitaker Foundation supports organizations whose primary mission is to aid in research and assistance for children with medical conditions like Miller’s. By contributing to their goals, we are able to fulfill our purpose of serving children and their families during intense periods in their lives.

For more information about our grants, and application process, please click here.

The post Cupcakes And Cocktails, An Occasion To Celebrate appeared first on Whitaker Family Foundation.

When two groups with common objectives meet, the greatest outcome is cohesion. Seamless unions occur rarely, but the relationship between the Whitaker Family Foundation and Equestrian Bridges is a welcome exception.

Equestrian Bridges’ Mission

“Building Bridges of Connection for Children, and Empowering Families”

Whitaker Family Foundation Mission

“Building a Better Future by Supporting Healthcare and Education for Children Today.”

Making Sense While Making Lives Better

In addition to the Whitaker Family’s commitment to children, they also hold close an affection for horses. Passing by the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center on Maple Street in Fayetteville, you’ll recognize one of the halves to the whole of this new partnership.

The Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center includes a 100 x 250 ft. riding arena with seating for 750, three classrooms, a conference room and a 10,000 sq.ft., fully equipped show barn. The Center is a place for education, idea sharing, and progress in all areas related to animal science.

Growing Their Reach Through Collaboration

Equestrian Bridges began as a brainchild of Shanna Dozier, a mental health specialist currently pursuing her masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. When Dozier discovered the almost-automatic bond formed between children on the autism spectrum and horses, she felt this was a dream worth realizing.

Equestrian Bridges began in Siloam Springs but moved to a new host facility, Parkerman Stables, at 3100 Oakland-Zion Road in Fayetteville.

Through their mutual love of horses and children, The Whitaker Family Foundation and Equestrian Bridges began to explore the potential of working together.

The Whitaker Family Foundation approved a grant of $10,000 to Equestrian Bridges in 2015 to help fund their Dream Catchers Program. Dream Catchers provides family therapy for children with autism, private therapy sessions for the children, and group counseling sessions for the parents.

Ms. Dozier expressed her gratitude about the new collaboration by saying, “The Whitaker Family Foundation grant has really allowed us to expand our capacity; not just to participants, but to their families as well.”

The Positive Effects of Similar Visions

The Foundation’s grant allows Equestrian Bridges to continually grown their outreach. From 2007, when the 501c3 began to now, the programs offered increased to include the siblings of the original participants, youth at risk, and adults.

With a larger number of incoming students, the need for support staff increases. When they began, human involvement was 100% volunteer. Equestrian Bridges now employs one full-time staff member and two part-time employees in addition to the volunteer teachers and therapists.

Dozier credits her team of volunteers and company representatives to the success of the foundation. Dozier states, “The team of Equestrian Bridges is where the beauty happens.”

The Results of Hard Work and Helping Hands

Programs offered by Equestrian Bridges encourage life skills through a therapeutic approach to play. The gentle nature of therapy horses draws children and adults to reach out physically and emotionally, and they form a bond through that interaction.

A noticeable difference in both horse and student behavior is evident within a relatively short time span. Some child/horse relationships begin to gel within an hour of meeting.

The students learn a new skill every week at the Learning Station. One week the lesson could focus around patience; the next week could emphasize boundaries.

When Fundraising is Fun

Equestrian Bridges hosts a Mini-Derby, a successful fundraising event, currently in its fourth year. The 2016 mini derby coincided with the Kentucky Derby, so, naturally there was a watch party and an oversized hat contest. The family-friendly event also included face painting, horse rides, and a pony race.

Volunteers Are Always Welcome

Please email Jamie@equestrianbridges.org for more information.

The post Harmonic Happenings in The Horse World appeared first on Whitaker Family Foundation.

For the last month or so, the people at Blue Zoo Creative have been working very hard to bring to life our vision for this website, with state-of-the-art features for easier use, as well as special formatting to allow you to view and use our site on mobile devices.

We hope that you like our new site, and will easily find all the information you need.

Features

You will notice that we have included a Resources page for those interested in learning more about foundation and corporate giving or other assistance for non-profits, as well as for those interested in supporting other non-profits.

We also give an overview of our Programs and the Application Process, as well as information about past giving on our Grant Reports page.

Please feel free to browse our new site, and tell us what you think!

The post Announcing Our New Website! appeared first on Whitaker Family Foundation.