Ron Greenbaum, The Basement Doctor, honored as a LifeTown Legend at this year's luncheon

On Wednesday May 30, LifeTown held its annual Legends Luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel with keynote speaker Hollywood Producer Gordan Gray. This year's luncheon also honored our own Ron Greenbaum, and Michael Schiff as LifeTown legends.

“Having two adults with special needs in my family, I know first-hand how important the exposure to everyday life skills is,” Greenbaum says. “LifeTown is about empowering students to become self-advocates and productive members of our community. It is an organization I am proud to support, and I am humbled to be honored at this year’s event.”

Funds raised at this year's luncheon are donated to the LifeTown Scholarship fund and make it possible to give 3,506 children the LifeTown experience. LifeTown is the only facility of its kind in Ohio and one of only two in the United States. That’s why students come from all over the state to take advantage of the program. It gives thousands of kids, who are too often marginalized and forgotten, the tools to live and work successfully as valued members of society. 

Something new to LifeTown that was highlighted during the luncheon is its "Stop to Live" initiative. The Stop to Live program is the first prescription drug misuse and abuse program in the Nation designed for students with varying abilities. It was born out of the devastation and suffering caused by the opioid epidemic and the recognition that people with special needs are 2-4 times more at risk but are often overlooked when it comes to prevention strategies. 

If you would like to learn more about this important initiative, we encourage you to visit stoptolive.org. You can also learn more about the important work being done at LifeTown everyday at lifetowncolumbus.org. 

Freezin' for a Reason! The Basement Doctor presents the 16th Annual Polar Plunge at Express Live

The Basement Doctor was proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 16^th annual Polar Plunge on February 3^rd at its new location, Express Live!  All proceeds from the plunge went directly to support 26,000 Special Olympics Ohio athletes.  This fun event included a costume contest and an after-party hosted by DJ MDizzle.

Special Olympics has made it their mission to ensure that no athletes or their families are financially responsible for participating. Similar to last year, all plungers were required to raise a minimum of $75 ($50 for students) in pledges. This year, plungers had the option to register as ‘Too Chicken To Plunge’ and were required to raise a minimum of $30. The event was a success raising over $108,000 total!

As well as our sponsorship, Team Basement Doctor had 29 participating plungers and raised over $1,500! Many employees made donations and were present for the event to show their support.

“It was great to see so much community support for this wonderful organization. I am proud to be a part of the Polar Plunge year after year," said Ryan Bolin, Sales Manager for The Basement Doctor. "Looking forward to seeing many new faces in 2019!”

Team Basement Doctor doubled in size this year and we hope to grow even more next year! For more information about Special Olympics Ohio, please visit their site here.  

To see all of the great pictures and videos from the event, please visit our Facebook page.

The Basement Doctor took the plunge to support the athletes of Special Olympics Ohio

The Basement Doctor had an amazing experience on Saturday, February 18, when we were the presenting sponsor for this year's 15th Annual Polar Plunge at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This fun and unique event was one of nine plunges taking place in the state of Ohio. All proceeds from these events directly support and benefit the 26,000 athletes of Special Olympics Ohio.

Plungers are required to raise a minimum of $75 or $50 (students) in pledges by the day of the
plunge. On the day of the event, Special Olympics said that nearly $100,000 was raised! This is important because Special Olympics Ohio is dedicated to making sure no family or Olympian is financially responsible for participating. 

The event included a fun costume contest with awards for individuals and teams, as well as an after-party at the zoo.

In addition to our sponsorship, Team Basement Doctor had 12 plungers participating this year, and many of our employees donated to the team or came out to the zoo to show their support at the event. Our team raised a total of $1500.

Special Olympics is a cause that has always been very close to our hearts, and we hope to have an even bigger team next year!

To learn more about the Polar Plunge and Special Olympics Ohio, visit there site here. Or to see even more great photos from our Plunge, check out The Basement Doctor's Facebook page. 

Making a difference for the kids at LifeTown Columbus

I want to share some information with you about an exceptional Columbus organization, LifeTown, and its annual Legends Luncheon--an inspiring event slated for May 12, with guest speaker Chris Spielman, and honoring Columbus City Schools.

As a parent of a special needs child myself, I cannot express how important this organization is to our community and to the thousands of children it helps each year. If you are not familiar with LifeTown, what it does is: 1) builds life skills and job skills in teens and young adults who, in generations past, would have had little future, and 2) lifts young people with disabilities to their fullest potential.

What is LifeTown's approach? It is simulating a village where young people can learn to bank, go to the doctor or dentist after making an appointment on their own, visit a pet store, go to the library and get their own library card, or decide if they want to spend money to see a movie or buy something at the art supply store.  

LifeTown serves 2,000 young people annually with the help of 800 community volunteers. I have been a fan and supporter for some time because I have seen firsthand the impact LifeTown can have on a child and his or her family. That's why I hope you will visit their web site and watch the video below. By supporting LifeTown, you can make a difference. There are several sponsorship opportunities for the luncheon still available. For more information, please visit their web site and register online.