Cerebral Palsy Telethon seeks help

Ten-year-old Houma native Tate Billiot is the face of Louisiana’s 2011 Cerebral Palsy Telethon, which kicks off Aug. 6 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.

Last year’s event raised more than $72,000 in pledges, and event director Kathy Arceneaux is hoping for another banner year.

“Our mission is to provide financial assistance to individuals in Louisiana with the purchase, rental and repair of certain medical equipment, assistance with payment for speech and occupational therapy, prescription shoes, evaluations, literature and films and just generally informing the public that we are here,” she said.

“Cerebral palsy is a condition, not a disease,” the director explained. “So our clients have financial needs their whole lives.”

Those needs, and the associated expenses, vary depending on each individual’s needs. “Just a wheelchair can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 or more because they are built for that individual.”

Cerebral Palsy of Louisiana is a nonprofit organization serving approximately 1,100 state residents, Arceneaux said. The organization relies on fundraising events such as the telethon to support its work. “We don’t get any state or government assistance and we are not affiliated with outside organizations for funding.”

In return, all the money raised through telethons and other fundraising activities stays in Louisiana.

In all, five telethons are held yearly. A second Tri-parish event is scheduled for Aug. 27-28 at the Cut Off Youth Center in Lafourche Parish.

Volunteers for the two-day event are needed in addition to donors. Arceneaux said anyone wanting to give time to the cause can show up at the civic center either day of the event.

For more information, call 1-800-375-8275. To make a pledge during the broadcast, call (985) 868-0200.

The telethon is being broadcast live on Charter (channel 18) and Comcast (channel 5). And donors who visit the telethon and donate $25 or more in the Fishbowl Drop receives an “I Helped” T-shirt.