Sidney High School students donate toys to pediatric rehabilitation program

A group of Sidney High School students and their teacher completed a volunteer effort as part of a class project by donating items to pediatric patients of Regional West Medical Center.

Brett Avila, Human Development instructor at Sidney High School, and his class collected various toys and items such as Legos, books, pencil grips, art supplies, and pop beads over the last month to donate to the Rehab Center's Pediatric Therapy department.

The toys will serve as a reward after a child's session of therapy is over, as well as help with fine motor skills and building muscles. The students and instructor delivered the gifts to the Rehab Center at Regional West Thursday as part of their mission called "Raiders Reaching Out."

This is the second year of the project at Sidney High school. Avila said the idea came from looking at development stages across a person's lifetime.

"I wanted to do more to help my students become college and career ready," he said. "It's been a passion of mine for a long time, and there is something so rewarding about helping others."

The Rehab Center offers pediatric occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech/language therapy for children of all ages. Therapy can benefit children who are either experiencing developmental delays or who are at risk of developing delays.

For more information on pediatric therapy, or to schedule an appointment for your child, contact the Rehab Center at (308) 630-1355.