Our speaker for February 2 - Cecilio Murillo

Our program today was on the Easter Seals.  Soon-to-be member Cecilio Murillo gave the presentation.  He is Chief Operating Officer of the Easter Seals Tri-Counties.  Joining him was Mary London, Chief Executive Officer.

We first watched a video (played through his cool 1/3” thin iPad) that showed children and adults receiving services and caring for one another.  It was a heart-warming presentation with the music Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars.  In settings with mostly special-needs kids, we kept hearing the refrain, “I love you just the way you are”.

Cecilio began with little known information.  Founder Edgar Allen had lost his son due to an injury in 1918 and wanted to start a Society for Crippled Children.  Mr. Allen was friends with Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International.  Paul Harris became the first Chairman of this new Society, with Edgar Allen serving as its first President.  “Service Above Self” is a theme for both Rotary and the Easter Seals.

The original seal was a bouquet of flowers.  It was created in 1934 for their first Seal fund-raiser.  In 1952, the lily became their new seal.  In 1967, they changed their name to Easter Seals.  Currently there are over 550 locations in the US and around the world.  In 1947 the Tri-Counties chapter was created.  The Ventura facility includes an early childhood education program, rehab pool, and children and adult therapies. 

Easter Seals provides Occupational (fine motor) and Physical (large movement) therapy as well as Behavioral Therapy.  Behavioral Therapy is the leading approach for autistic children.  Their preschool has 20-30% special needs children.

Adults can receive aquatic rehab and general fitness help.  They may also benefit from an equipment loan program.  Easter Seals want to start a transportation services program, designed for those who do not or cannot drive to doctors’ appointments, the Ventura facility, etc.  About 1,900 people use the services of the Ventura Easter Seals facilities.

Easter Seals can be helped by simply talking about it to others.  Statistics show about 1 in 5 have some disability.  Refer people to them.  They can assist physicians in certain evaluations of children.  More tangible support can come through purchases from ProFlowers, or Goodsearch.com, as well as plain-old contributions, including those through Pay-Pal.  Easter Seals always needs supporters and sponsors for their events, too.

Thank you, Cecilio, for a very informative program.  Most of us had no idea of all the services provided by Easter Seals, nor its tie to Rotary International.

Rocky Ludes