This April the occupational therapy assistant student association at American Career College-Orange County capped a month of fundraising by volunteering at the Triumph Foundation Wheelchair Sport Festival.
At the festival, the OTA students worked the sidelines at different adaptive sports events, such as baseball, scuba, quad rugby, basketball and hockey.
“Our students helped the athletes with the adaptations as needed, as well as helping some get in and out of the specialized wheelchairs that allowed them to play the sports,” ACC-Orange County OTA program director Heather Thomas said.
Led by OTA student Margarett Angeles, the Student Occupational Therapy Association spent the bulk of April — which happens to be National Occupational Therapy month — fundraising for the Triumph Foundation, a nonprofit that helps the spinal cord injury community.
The students held a series of mini-fundraisers, including Super Hero Day, where ACC-OC staff, students and faculty donated $2 to represent their favorite comic book character. Other events included Sports Jersey Day, Go Blue/Autism Awareness Day and Backwards Day.
“The student OTA group raised over $500 for a great organization – all student led,” ACC-OC Student Services Director Valerie Dickson said. “It’s wonderful to see our students so dedicated to the community and their future careers.”
