Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, Ohio County Virtual Lions Club and city officials will gather at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, at the Splash Pad outside WesBanco Arena to dedicate a bench to longtime Easterseals physician Dr. Ellen Kitts.
Easterseals donated the bench to the city last summer after earning it through the Trex Community Recycling Challenge, facilitated locally by the Lions Club. It takes 1,000 pounds of plastic bags to qualify for a free bench. Community members, staff and clients collected the bags over a 12-month period.
Easterseals marketing director Betsy Bethel-McFarland said Easterseals offered the bench to give back to a supportive community and to honor Dr. Kitts, who will celebrate 37 years as the Easterseals medical director on July 18. That date also will mark Dr. Kitts’s retirement.
“Dr. Kitts has helped thousands of children and adults live their lives to the fullest over the years. This bench, installed under a beautiful shade tree overlooking the Splash Pad along the riverfront, can provide respite for parents and grandparents to watch their children play, or it may offer rest to a weary worker or visitor. It is a symbol of Dr. Kitts’s thoughtfulness and the extra time and care she gives to every client.”
Next month, Easterseals will host a private retirement reception and announce next steps for its medical department.
The bench dedication comes just ahead of the new event, Ohio River Splashtacular: Making Waves for Easterseals, which will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at Heritage Port. Made possible by sponsors such as Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, the city, WesBanco and the River Heritage Foundation, Splashtacular will bring a water ski show team to perform on the river and will feature food trucks and children’s activities, including the Splash Pad.
The free event also will feature several raffles, such as a chance to win the grand prize, a Yamaha Jet Blaster DLX, or two prizes of $1,000 in groceries. Raffle proceeds benefit the nonprofit mission of Easterseals “to create solutions that change the lives of children and adults with disabilities or other special needs and their families.”
For information, call Easterseals, 304-242-1390 or visit the Splashtacular event page on Facebook.
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