HARRY GREGG FOUNDATION Helping New Hampshire People with Disabilities Summer 2006 One Verney Drive Greenfield, New Hampshire 03047 603.547.3311, ext 401 hgf@crotchedmountain.org Chair Lift Keeps Ken Slater on the Road Ken Slater of Gilford sent us a picture of his van chair lift along with a letter describing how a Harry Gregg Foundation grant helped him to complete the funding of this all important piece of equipment. "As you are probably aware, the loss of the use of a limb is a very life-changing experience. The things like fishing, hunting, taking a simple walk, and all the things one takes for granted, all have had to be altered. With your help, the lift has certainly assisted me in being able to live a somewhat better life, with my ability to get around much easier than I ever thought possible. Your foundation’s grant of $350 is much appreciated more than you can ever know." Ken Slater Robert Grassi, MD, HGF Board Member Retires Bob Grassi, pediatrician, past medical director at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, avid fisherman, photographer and Harry Gregg Foundation Board member, recently stepped down from the HGF Board to spend more time at his retirement haven in northern New Hampshire where, he reports, he spends his days gardening, fishing, taking pictures and generally enjoying a well-earned retirement. He began serving as part time medical director at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in 1972, all the while managing a full time pediatric practice in Peterborough. Crotched Mountain was a skilled nursing facility then with no full-time physicians. Bob says he rotated medical shifts at the facility with other physicians in his practice. “The medical director position was 12 hours a week, but we all put in longer hours than that. It was a challenge to manage the medical needs of both the mountain and a full-time practice.” Bob retired as medical director in 1997. In 2003, Cy Gregg, the Chair of the Harry Gregg Foundation, invited Bob to join the Board. He says he was happy to do so and was impressed with what an important resource it was, and continues to be. “It fills a great need, providing funding for services and equipment that would otherwise be unattainable for some people. The grants also leverage funds from other sources,” he points out. “The recreation fund is great,” he adds. “The camperships and other activities made possible through the fund are often the highlight of people’s lives. It provides opportunities for people to learn how to care for themselves and to have as much fun as they can.” “Bob’s dedication and compassion toward children with disabilities was always apparent,” says Don Shumway, President of Crotched Mountain Foundation and the Harry Gregg Foundation. “The Foundation Board is going to miss his generous spirit.” Cy Gregg agrees. “Always, Bob’s priority was to get the word out to his colleagues in the medical professions,” he said. “As a pediatrician, he understood how important a helping hand could be to families coping with disabilities.” HGF Promotes Year-Round Fun The Harry Gregg Foundation makes grants year-round to New Hampshire residents with disabilities for all kinds of recreational pursuits. This year we distributed over $40,000 in grants averaging $250 to 163 adults and children from throughout New Hampshire. Some of the activities we helped fund included camperships to a variety of specialized camps including Camp Allen in Bedford, which serves over 500 people with more disabilities each year. Other grantees attended conferences, jazzercise and dance classes, martial arts instruction, swimming and gym activities, horseback riding, sight-seeing tours and more. Unfortunately, the Recreation Fund was so popular this year, the funds were expended much earlier than anticipated. The good news is grants will be available again in January. Our application is now on-line Go to www.crotchedmountain.org and click on the Harry Gregg Foundation. Download an application or check out our website for deadlines, resources and foundation news. The Harry Gregg Foundation makes financial grants to New Hampshire residents with physical, developmental and emotional disabilities to help them further their efforts toward independence. Since 1990, the Harry Gregg Foundation has awarded over 4,000 grants to individuals in New Hampshire totaling more than $1,500,000 for a wide array of equipment and services. Grants generally range from $100 to $1000, but can be larger. wheelchairs • driver evaluation and training • adaptive equipment • ramps summer camp • prostheses • hearing aids • dental care • therapeutic recreation specialized therapies • respite care • lift chairs • computer equipment and more Make a donation to the Harry Gregg Foundation...and be assured your gift will reach those who need it most. The HGF works closely with agencies and organizations serving people with disabilities. And thanks to the Crotched Mountain Foundation in Greenfield which shares our administrative costs, your gift to the Harry Gregg Foundation goes further. Make a donation on-line or send a check to HGF, One Verney Drive, Greenfield, NH 03047. Harry Gregg Foundation Trustee Meetings & Application Deadlines for 2007 Meeting January 9th - Application deadline December 4th Meeting April 10th - Application deadline March 5th Meeting July 10th - Application deadline June 4th Meeting October 9th - Application deadline September 3rd Trustees: Cyrus W. Gregg Chairman W. Carl Cooley, M.D. Stanley B. Fry Eugene L. Gagnon, Emeritus Benjamin F. Gayman, Esq., Secretary David A. Gregg, III Gregory Kriebel, MD James W. Squires, M.D. Officers: Donald L. Shumway, President Robin E. Boyd, Assistant Secretary Michael P. Lussier, Treasurer