KRCC Telethon stars are proof center fills regional need

SIKESTON — Five local children have been named the poster children for the annual Kenny Rogers Children’s Center Telethon.

Set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at the Sikeston Field House, the day includes a multidude of activities. A pancake breakfast kicks off the day at 8 a.m. and runs through 11 a.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church in Sikeston. The annual 5K run/walk starts at 9:30 a.m. with registration at 9 a.m. at the Field House. A cornhole tournament will begin at 11 a.m. with registration at 10 a.m. at 333 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston. There will be a food truck lunch starting at 11 a.m. at the Field House parking lot. Kids zone activities will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an Easter egg hunt will be at 11 a.m. at the Field House. Items from the online silent auction will be on display in the Field House with the auction closing at 4 p.m.

All proceeds from the telethon will benefit the Center, which provides pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy free of charge to children with special needs throughout Southeast Missouri.

And because the real stars of the telethon are the children the Center serves, the Center designated five children who utilize its services as poster children for the telethon. This year’s telethon stars are Lukin Bridges, August Graviett, Lincoln Partin, Aleece Sutton and Jainee Woodard.

Lukin has been attending the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center for almost a decade. In that time, he has participated in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and food therapy. Lukin was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, or POD-NOS, on the autism spectrum and struggled to speak and do simple tasks, according to his mother, Summer Bridges.

“Through the years with therapy and practice, Lukin has grown leaps and bounds while attending and will grow so much more with the help of KRCC,” Bridges said. “I cannot say enough great things about the therapists and center. We are thankful and grateful to be a part of the KRCC family.”

After August was diagnosed, his mother, Michelle Graviett, said her family wondered if they needed to move to St. Louis because they thought therapy services might be betterin a more urban area.

“Then, we found Kenny Rogers Children’s Center and had comfort knowing that a quality facility was close by,” Graviett said. “Since August has attended KRCC, we have been blown away by his progress. Not only do his therapists love him and nurture him, but they are always forward thinking.”

August’s physical therapy and occupational therapy are also constantly evaluating him, along with the therapists’ approach and tweaking it to his weekly needs, Graviett said.

“The resources at KRCC are above and beyond,” Graviett said. “ The therapists are a godsend. At Kenny Rogers, we found our therapeutic home for our boy.”

Misty Partin said Kenny Rogers Children’s Center has been an answered prayer for her son, Lincoln. Since attending, he can now form six to seven phrase sentences and can form most words properly while holding conversations with his family.

“He has also excelled in focusing and transitioning in age-appropriate tasks,” Partin said. “Lincoln has excelled so much since he started. We are so proud of him and forever grateful for the center.”

While Aleece has been attending KRCC, she has gone from not yet walking to walking with a walker, and then to braces, and now being able to walk on her own, according to her mother, Alayna Patterson. Aleece is able to interact with others more, and her communication skills are also improving.

“She’s learning how to show you things she wants,” Patterson said. “She’s nonverbal but has started to say ‘momma.’ KRCC has made a huge impact on my daughter’s life, and she continues to advance more

each day. I couldn’t be more thankful for the KRCC team.”

“Jainee has been attending therapy at the Kenny Rogers Center since 2-1/2 years old,” her mother, Jessica Woodard, said.

The therapists at Kenny Rogers Children’s Center have helped Jainee achieve many goals and build her confidence as well as help get her the proper equipment to continue therapy at home, Woodard said.

“To Jainee, therapy is a place she comes to have fun, express herself and bond with her therapist,” Woodard said. “I’m confident Jainee would not be as strong as she is today without the help of weekly therapy appointments and the intensive therapy program. Our family is so grateful for all opportunities Kenny Rogers gives Jainee.”