# Canes for Kids in Kansas

Category: Let's talk

## Post 1 by TexasRed (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 01-Apr-2005 14:45:26

This came from another list that I'm on. Below is a letter and information that Matt wrote to his Grandpa. Anyone who would like to help out, there is an address to send to. I thought this was outstanding for a school project.
Dear Papa Jerry,
Hello, I hope you are doing well. I am working on
my Change the World
project for the 7th grade Social Studies class. I
have picked a project to
help blind kids get free canes. I am calling my
project "Kanes for Kids".
I e-mailed the National Federation Of The Blind
and spoke with Mrs. Patricia
Maurer and she donated 10 canes from the National
office. I also wrote to
AmbuTech and spoke with Mr. Terry Russell and he
donated 16 canes to my
project.
I contacted the Kansas State School for the Blind
and asked if they would be
my partner in setting up a Kansas Cane Bank for
kids canes. I am working
with Mr. Daugherty the superintendent and he has
agreed to help me run the
cane bank out of his school.
The kids at the school get a cane supplied to them
by the school, but there
are kids across the state who do not go to school
there and they can use the
program. Mr. Daugherty and I are going to put a
letter together and send it
out to all of these kids and to each public school
system in the state
telling them about this program and how to use the
cane bank.
We are having a lunch next Wednesday, April 6 at
11:00 then we are going to
have a ceremony where I am going to donate the
canes to the program. We
have some important people who are going to be
there. The Johnson County
NFB President, The Wyandotte county NFB president,
a former state
representative who is blind named Mr. Edlund, some
O & M instructors, and
the Kansas State Commissioner of Education Br.
Tompkins, also, the students
and staff of the school will be there. I think my
mom is working on getting
the local newspaper and TV station there. I am
excited.
If you know of anyone who would like to donate a
new or used cane to my
project, I will take any they want to send me.
They can mail it to me free
of charge. They can put it in a box unsealed and
mark it "Matter for the
Blind". They can mail it to my home address:
matthew rayburn.
22118 W. 52nd Street
Shawnee, KS 66226.
In October they have "White Cane Day" and I am
going to go help promote the
project.
Thank you for all of your advice and help in
giving me people and places
where to contact to help my project. I hope it
helps lots of kids.
Love,
Matt

## Post 2 by Puggle (I love my life!) on Saturday, 02-Apr-2005 2:53:46

wow what an awesome idea. he's a great little kid. I'm a bit concerned that his home address has been posted on a live message board though. ythe administration might consider taking part of the post out, and anyoen who wants the address can write to tr provately? you don't know who could get hold of this email.

## Post 3 by TexasRed (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Saturday, 02-Apr-2005 15:48:45

well, it was posted on several other sites and I never really considered that it would be a problem. I'll keep an eye on my posts from now on. Thanks for the heads up, Puggle. I guess because I don't think on those lines of misusing anothers information, I forget that there are others out there who would.
Carla

## Post 4 by Chels666 (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Saturday, 02-Apr-2005 16:07:28

wow, what a nice project and a nice gesture!