Miracle Makers
by Chelsea Tibbles

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    Contestants and coordinators of Mr. RHS traveled up to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene on Friday, March 4th to visit the NICU. The contestants were: Ryan Hitchcock, Nick Blundon, Jesse Jackson, Justin Lovell, Trevor and Travis Gardner, Tyler Hague, Andrew Merschel, Nick Schneider, Daniel Mast, Jeff Berge, and Brian Kruse.
    When everyone arrived at SHMC, Debbie White, the head coordinator of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) talked to them about how Children’s Miracle Network was founded, showed them pictures of a girl who was smaller than a Beanie Baby, and passed around equipment that they use on babies at the hospital. One piece of equipment, the incubator, costs approximately $15,000 a piece, and the parts are irreplaceable.  After Debbie had finished with her presentation, the RHS group headed up to the second floor where the NICU is located. Before going in, however, the boys and coordinators were required to wash their hands and put on gowns. “Now look at your hands everyone. This is the cleanest they will ever be,” said Debbie White.  After everyone had finished washing and gowns were on and tied, the group headed towards the unit. Inside the NICU there were monitors beeping and people rushing around. “One thing I remember the most was when I walked into the room and there were a set of twins and the boy was twice the size of his sister. The nurse picked up the little girl and she looked like a rag doll. I was in shock that anyone could ever be that small and survive,” Brian Kruse remarked.
    When everyone was done touring the unit, they threw their gowns in a basket and headed back down to the first floor to visit Pediatrics.  There, everyone got to see a room where kids stay and Debbie talked about how everything in that room, except for the beds, were donated by Children’s Miracle Network. That was when the boys realized that they were actually helping out a great cause.
    When Mrs. Tisler, the Mr. RHS Advisor, was asked what impacted her most when being involved with CMN she said, “I love Mr. RHS for so many reasons!  I think it is great working with the guys and the coordinators and seeing them grow. I always tell them in the beginning that it is the one thing that they’ll do in their high school career that’s not about them and it really makes a difference in their lives.”
    Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals across the United States. CMN has grown dramatically since its founding in 1983 by Marie Osmond and John Schneider, who co-founded CMN. One hundred seventy CMN hospitals are there 24 hours a day to help kids of every age and background overcome every imaginable disease and injury. This ranges from asthma and broken bones to cancer, sickle cell anemia, pediatric AIDS, muscular dystrophy and serious injuries. Each year Children’s Miracle Network writes off millions of dollars to pay for families who can’t pay expenses or afford to commute back and forth to the hospital.
    Each year thousands of fundraisers are conducted to help raise money for CMN. Some of the fundraisers include the high school pageants, and the Children’s Miracle Network Celebration, which is an annual televised fundraiser. Also, corporate sponsors sell paper Miracle Balloons, radio stations broadcast Radiothons, and college students hold Dance Marathons. These are just a few of the fundraisers that happen annually across the United States and generate millions of dollars each year.
    This year alone, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals will provide charity care worth billions. Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $2.2 billion to date, most of it being donated by a dollar or two at a time by caring individuals.
    As a coordinator, every time I see that Children’s Miracle Network Ambulance I think to myself and say, “I’m proud to be me, because I donated money and helped out a good cause.”

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by Michele Kirk

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    With over 55,000 children participating all over the nation throughout one season, it is safe to say that the Missoula Children's Theatre is an overall success.
     Approximately 45 students of all ages participated in this year's production of The Frog Prince which was held on Saturday, March 12th at 3:00 and 7:00 pm in the Pacific Auditorium.  The children had auditions on Monday, March 7th from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and those that were chosen then rehearsed frantically for the next four days.
    Missoula Children's Theatre, founded in 1970 by Jim Caron, tours to nearly 1,000 communities in all 50 states, four Canadian provinces, and 15 countries.  This is all achieved by 30 touring teams of people willing to devote their time into these productions.  Each year this organization continues to expand.
    Erin Dempsey, one of the touring coordinaters, commented, "They were a great group of kids who listened well and they gave a great performance."  She also said that, "It is hard work to put the production together in just one week but they did it, and did it well!"