Benjamin Franklin Lodge #83, Madison, WI

Submitted by Bro. Joseph Howell:

Benjamin Franklin Lodge No. 83 members Paul Gordon, Travis West, Erik Nielsen, Joseph Howell, and Ross Lehmann toured the Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 18, 2008. They carried with them a collective donation from the Lodge, which they presented to the administrator of the hospital. The Twin Cities Shriners Hospital is a 40-bed facility that provides orthopedic care to children, free of charge. Services provided include surgery, custom prosthetics, physical and occupation therapy, and follow up care. Even though the state-of-the-art facility serves seven states and treats children from all over the world, there are rarely more than a few to several children staying there at any one time. It is the Shriners’ hope to increase utilization of their services through the referral of more children who can benefit from the excellent health care they offer.