Meet our new ambassador

NEWS RELEASE

ROTARY CLUB OF
SAULT STE. MARIE

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Introducing this year’s Easter Seals Ambassador

Hunter Vommaro is the 2013 Easter Seals Ambassador for Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE - Hunter Vommaro is the 2013 Easter Seals Ambassador for Sault Ste. Marie. 

The Vommaro’s are just your regular Northern Ontario family.

Both parents work at the local casino.

Hunter’s dad, Vince, is a shift manager while his mom, Tanya, works in food and beverage.

He also has two younger brothers aged five and eight.

In the winter time the family enjoys the regular northern activities.

During this Family Day long weekend, they packed up the kids and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of tobogganing on Finn Hill.

Unlike most nine-year-olds, Hunter has added challenges in his life.

When he was just a few months old, Hunter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. 

CP is a non-progressive disability in which children have difficulty with motor control of certain groups of muscles. 

It is a result of a cerebral defect or injury to the area of the brain, which controls movement. 

People with cerebral palsy, no matter how severe the degree of physical disability, do not necessarily have intellectual or cognitive impairments.

In the case of Hunter, he is visually impaired and needs a wheelchair to get around.

He doesn’t let it get him down though; the first thing people notice about him is that he is a very happy kid.

You will have a hard time catching him without a big smile on his face.

Through the challenges the Vommaro family has had to face, Easter Seals has always been there to support them.

The organization has helped the family cover costs for things like Hunter’s wheel chair, medical equipment and travel expenses.

Tanya commented: “Whenever we have called, Easter Seals has been there to help.”

In the first few years of his life Hunter had to be flown to Toronto 10 to 15 times for surgeries.

It is not cheap to spent time in the big city.

The expenses for food and board can really add up, so the Vommaro family is thankful that Easter Seals was there.

Today, Tanya is happy to report that Hunter has been well and it has been years since he has had to make that trip.

Vince and Tanya are also very pleased with their son’s new role as Ambassador this year, saying: “We are absolutely honoured. We love what they stand for. Even if Hunter did not have a disability, we would support Easter Seals however we could. It’s been great! So far we have made an appearance at Snowarama, dropped a puck at a Greyhound game and will meet the Mayor next week to proclaim March as Easter Seals month.”

Over the course of the year, Hunter will make appearances at events in Sault Ste. Marie to help promote the Easter Seals mission of fully enhancing the quality of life, self-esteem and self-determination of Ontario children, youth and young adults with physical disabilities.

One of those appearances will be on the annual Sault Ste. Marie Easter Seals Telethon set to go March 24 on SHAW-TV, Channel 10 and will be beaming into households across the city for seven hours beginning at 12 noon.

Easter Seals Ontario provides funding to families of kids with physical disabilities for costly equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, braces and communication devices. 

As children grow, most equipment must be replaced.

It can cost families an additional $10,000 to $40,000 a year to raise a child with a physical disability and many families just can’t do it on their own.

Generous dollars contributed by Easter Seals’ supporters help children with physical disabilities get the essential equipment they need to achieve a greater level of independence.

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