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Fire Recruits Answer the Call for the McCarty
Center
Oklahoma
City Fire Department recruit class 071 answered
a call for the J. D. McCarty Center in Norman.
The fire department recruits delivered toys,
games and sports equipment to the pediatric
rehab hospital for children with developmental
disabilities.
"I had asked Uwe (von Schamann, director
of development for the McCarty Center) to do
a motivational talk for our recruits,"
said Major Andy Munsey, of the Oklahoma City
Fire Department Training Division. "As
a result of his talk, the recruits decided that
they wanted to do something for the kids at
the McCarty Center."
"I keep a wish list of items that the six
hospital units need or would like to have, but
don't have a budget for," said von Schamann.
"When people ask me how they might help
the McCarty Center I show them the wish list.
The items on the list range from DVD movies
to board games to coloring books and markers
to story books."
Eight recruits representing the 50 members of
the fire department's recruit class 071 made
the delivery to hospital unit number three at
the McCarty Center. The average age of recruit
class 071 is between 25 and 30. The class is
scheduled to graduate on March 14, at the end
of 19 weeks of training.
"There are many ways for groups and individuals
to become involved in helping the McCarty Center,"
von Schamann said. "There is something
for everyone. It ranges from a major capital
campaign donation to one item off a wish list.
Regardless of the size of the contribution,
each one is appreciated and each one helps the
kids of the McCarty Center."
The J. D. McCarty Center is Oklahoma's center
of excellence in the care and treatment of children
with developmental disabilities from birth to
age 21. Founded in 1946, the McCarty Center
only treated one diagnosis…cerebral palsy.
Today, the hospital has treated more than 70
different diagnoses in the developmental disability
category. The McCarty Center is the only hospital
of its kind in Oklahoma and in an average year
treats children from 70 of the state's 77 counties.
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Oklahoma City Fire Department
recruit Tony Sousa, age 26, offers a fire
rescue truck to J. D. McCarty Center patient
Jeramy Joyner, age 3, from Pauls Valley,
Oklahoma. Sousa was one of eight fire department
recruits representing the 50 members of
recruit class 071 who answered the call
for assistance by acquiring and delivering
games, toys and sports equipment to the
McCarty Center.
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