February 12, 2008

SCSDB News                                             

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

  A Palmetto Gold School                                                    For Immediate Release

 Media contacts:

 Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505

 sgoolsby@scsdb.org

 

Katie Rice, Public Information Office:  (864) 577-7506

krice@scsdb.org

 

School for the Multihandicapped Jumps Rope for Heart

 

SPARTANBURG – Students at the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) will create a special Valentine by raising money to help individuals who have heart disease.

            About 110 students in the School for the Multihandicapped, ranging in age from three to 21, will participate in the Jump Rope for Heart fund-raiser, sponsored by the American Heart Association.    The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 13, in the Herbert Center cafeteria on the SCSDB campus.  The students in the Multihandicapped Division are blind or deaf and must have at least one other disability, such as cerebral palsy or developmental delays. 

            “These students are amazing and perform the most unexpected accomplishments with a jump rope,” said Kim Speer, SCSDB’s coordinator of the fund-raiser.  “This is a wonderful character-building event for the students and gives them such a sense of community spirit, not to mention the health benefits they gain from developing their jumping skills.”

            The students will present a special performance at 1:30 p.m., followed by other special events, which include the principal of the School for the Multihandicapped kissing a pot-bellied pig if the students and staff successfully raise this year’s monetary goal.  Dr. Pam Shaw, SCSDB president has accepted a jump rope challenge from a student and a physical education teacher will have his head shaved by students and staff members that individually raise $100.  

            This school activity has raised more than $14,000 over the past seven years for the American Heart Association and this year they hope to raise more than $3,000.  The SC Department of Education named SCSDB a Palmetto Gold School for its academic accomplishments and a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer service.  SCSDB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the SC Department of Education.  SCSDB offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, sensory multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary education students, as well as a variety of outreach services through regional centers located throughout the state. The main campus is located in Spartanburg. The school’s web site address is www.scsdb.org and its toll-free telephone number is 1-888-447-2732.