KAWARTHA LAKES, ON (June 16, 2023) – There’s an art to saying, ‘thank you’, and in this case, it’s being vividly illustrated with the help of a young boy from Kawartha Lakes.
Five Counties Children’s Centre is unveiling new corporate ‘thank you cards’ that feature the artwork of its former client, six-year-old Gordon. His crayon-coloured dinosaur picture graces the cover of the thank you card, with a short description on the back about the aspiring young artist.
The cards are intended to thank donors, volunteers and supporters for assisting Five Counties. The children’s treatment centre provides support to children and youth with physical, developmental and communications needs in Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Haliburton and Northumberland.
“We know how grateful families are to get support at Five Counties,” says CEO Scott Pepin. “Having a thank you card that’s been designed by one of our former clients like Gordon has added meaning when we send appreciation to our supporters. It can help them understand and directly see the impact they are making with their support for Five Counties.”
Gordon is a former Five Counties client, who was born with a rare genetic condition called Aarskog-Scott syndrome that can cause many anatomical changes. Early on, Gordon’s parents noticed how he had difficulty reaching for objects and supporting his weight with his hands due to how they were developing. From birth, Gordon also had crooked feet which raised concerns about how this could affect his walking.
At Five Counties, Gordon was assessed to see what supports were needed. He and his family were connected with an occupational therapist and physiotherapist at the Centre.
“Thankfully we knew who to call – Five Counties,” says Gordon’s mom, Sarah. “Our son, Jack, was born with the same genetic condition, and received excellent support through Five Counties.”
Just like his brother, Gordon also benefitted from therapy at Five Counties, while also receiving splints to help correct his crooked feet. According to his dad, Len: “Five Counties provided us with activities we could practise at home and excellent monitoring and support to ensure Gordon was progressing and meeting his development milestones.”
Having “graduated” from Five Counties, Gordon now participates in daily activities without any concerns. He particularly loves to play games, build, jump on a trampoline, bowl and play many types of sports.
His interest in crafting and painting came in handy when Five Counties held a colouring contest as part of its Winterfest 2023 event in February. The contest to choose the artwork for the new Five Counties’ thank you card drew dozens of entries, with Gordon’s submission being selected to grace the card cover.
“We’re extremely grateful to be able to support our kids and families, and now we can share that with others through Gordon’s artwork,” says Linsey Kampf, Annual Giving Coordinator with Five Counties. “As thank you messages go, this is one we’re sure people will appreciate.”
Category: General News