On Aug. 31, 2005, less than 48 hours after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Foot Levelers, Inc., initiated an ambitious matching-fund endeavor on behalf of the American Red Cross. The initial goal: to raise $500,000 via a dollar-for-dollar matching campaign, whereby every dollar donated by members of the chiropractic profession would be matched by Foot Levelers.
As we go to press, the Foot Levelers matching-fund program has met and exceeded that initial goal, thanks to more than 2,000 individual contributions from the chiropractic profession. The money donated to the Red Cross - $564,467.33, at last count* - will assist in the relief and recovery effort in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other areas left devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
"I just knew the chiropractic community would join together to help their fellow Americans," commented Kent Greenawalt, president/CEO of Foot Levelers. "We've been working with the profession long enough to know how deeply and dynamically chiropractors care for humanity, healing, and wholeness."
According to Greenawalt, the company's customer service phones began ringing minutes after announcing the campaign by e-mail and fax. At first, the contributions came from individual DCs, but "soon, a ripple effect started to happen. As the word got out, both individuals and groups in the chiropractic community organized similar fund-matching campaigns it was fantastic to witness." (MPAmedia, publisher of Dynamic Chiropractic, established an in-house matching-fund donation campaign; the company matched each dollar donated by company employees with an equal donation, then forwarded the entire amount to Foot Levelers, to be matched again. Thus, each $1 employee donation became $4 to help those in need.)
"On behalf of the American Red Cross, Foot Levelers, and all that you helped by your heartfelt charity, I sincerely thank you for your gift," said Greenawalt. "I am truly proud of what has been accomplished. We have proven what wonderful things can happen when we come together. United we stand as a profession, united we stand as a country, and united we stand as humans helping each other. Thank you."
*Dollar figure reflects all donations tabulated by Foot Levelers as of press time (Sept. 30, 2005). As this figure increased several times during press week, the total donation ultimately sent to the American Red Cross may be even higher at the time you read this article.
Dynamic Chiropractic offers its sincere condolences to the countless thousands of men, women and children displaced by Hurricane Katrina. As noted in the Oct. 24, 2005 issue, we've created a Web page designed specifically for chiropractors who would like to take in a displaced DC and/or help them find temporary work. If you have a position available, know someone who does, or simply have an extra room in your office (or home), post your message at http://DisplacedChiropractors.Chiroweb.com. While many displaced chiropractors may not have access to the Internet at this time, it is hoped that through word of mouth and other channels (e.g., we have informed the American Red Cross that these opportunities are available), this Web site will serve its intended purpose.
Remember also that Dynamic Chiropractic wants to share your story - your experience with the disaster relief effort, whether as a practitioner displaced by the hurricane or as a DC from a neighboring (or distant) state who provided compassionate care, organized a donation drive, participated on a disaster response team, etc. In the coming months, we will do our best to publish as many stories as possible. For more information, please contact us at 714-230-3150 or
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Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
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