DANKMEYER - AMPUTEE CYCLING EVENT

On Sunday October 4th, 2020 Dankmeyer had the opportunity to participate in a local cycling event in DC. The event was organized by a young woman with an above knee amputation who recently found a sense of mobility and liberation when learning to ride a bike. With the support from local bike shops in the DC area, she was able to host a 100% free opportunity for other people with amputations to safely explore their interest in biking for exercise and mobility, in hopes of benefitting their physical and mental health. Cycling experts, prosthetists, physical therapists, and a few loving dogs were on standby to provide technique modifications, bike adjustments, and positive feedback as needed. 

Dankmeyer’s Rebecca (Becca) Frost, CP and Dawn Miranda, Prosthetist Assistant, attended the event. Becca is very active in a full range of adaptive sports, and Dawn was anxious to refine her cycling skills. Dawn joined twelve other persons with amputations and each was paired with an experienced cyclist, physical therapist, and prosthetist. Many learned to ride an upright bike for the first time! Others had the opportunity to try recumbent bikes when stand up bikes proved to be too challenging to ride without assistance. A few were experienced riders and were able to improve their riding with the expertise and innovation of local volunteers, while also providing their own valuable experience and technique to newer cyclists. 

This very successful first time event was managed on a beautiful Sunday, with a large, airy, outdoor meeting space, mask-wearing, and social distancing. People of all ages, abilities, experience levels, and amputation levels were brought together as a community of people with one common goal- MOBILITY FOR ALL!

• Rebecca Frost, CP
  

TEAM DANKMEYER for The Children's League September Walk/Talk

We are happy to say that TEAM DANKMEYER, almost 50 strong, participated in The Children’s League 18th annual fundraiser the last two weeks of September.

Last year,  Dankmeyer was proud to support The Children’s League Kid Walk/Kid Talk fundraising event in Cumberland, Maryland.  A team composed of Mark Treasure, CP, BOCO, Patient Representative Heather Iman and her family, Dawn Miranda Prosthetist Assistant, and two Cumberland area patients - Mr. Bill Ewing and Kaleb Mearkle, participated in the event.  Mr. Ewing and Kaleb are both beneficiaries of The Children’s League.

We did it again this year, except bigger and virtual!  As with many things COVID related, The Children’s League had to shift to a virtual event for 2020.  In some ways, this made it easier for more people outside of the Cumberland area to support The Children’s League.  

Bill Ewing on the trail.

We created TEAM DANKMEYER and invited Dankmeyer staff and patients to participate in this virtual effort over a two week period at the end of September. The League was interested in people getting out and about - so walking, running, hiking, biking - pretty much any physical activity was encouraged. Quite a few Dankmeyer staff attended a socially distanced organized walk together (yet apart!). Marlies Beerli Cabell, CPO, took the initiative to gather up a number of teammates - including her large family, friends and co-workers, at Rockburn Park on a beautiful fall September morning on the 19th. Another group in Cumberland got together,  including Bill Ewing, a long term Cumberland office patient, and visited some local scenic trails.

This was also Mark Treasure’s last community event as part of the Dankmeyer team. Mark’s last day before retirement from Dankmeyer after 40 years of service was September 25, 2020. We had hoped to make the Walk/Talk a part of his bigger celebration. Next year, when we participate even bigger and better, we think Mark will join us in this worthy cause.

Heather Iman, Cumberland Patient Services Coordinator (R) and daughter Kayla, with daughter Sarah taking the shot!

Art Ross, Dankmeyer Fabrication Technician, wears one of the masks on the walk he custom makes.

Mark Hopkins, CEO, CPO and family brought along their four-legged teammate.

Becca Frost, CP, who is following in Mark Treasure’s footsteps as the Cumberland clinician, decided to do something a little different at an indoor ski slope.

Dawn Miranda, Prosthetist Assistant, did a walk around the Baltimore office parking lot before settling at her desk Friday morning.

Linda and Mark Treasure wearing their Children’s League shirts with a timely wave.

Dankmeyer In the Community During COVID-19

Dankmeyer employees have been working diligently to remain open and safely take care of patients during these challenging times.  In addition to working hard to ensure the safety of our staff and patients, over the past few months, we have also been working with and giving back to our community.  Below is just a quick snapshot, along with ways that you can give back to your communities too!

When a few medical institutions in the Baltimore area requested fabric masks, Dankmeyer immediately responded!  Prior to the requests, we had already set up a new sewing station at our office, and everyone jumped in to sew masks to donate to the local hospitals, raiding their sewing supplies and fabric stashes.  While these sewn masks are not medical grade, they are used in non-patient care settings to contain coughs and to remind people not to touch their faces throughout the day. 

In addition to sewing masks, some of our employees also joined a local effort to 3D print parts to make face shields for medical personnel treating patients.  We have also used this technology in our office for our own practitioners, so when you come see us for your appointment, your clinician may be wearing one of these face shields themselves!

Even if you do not have the ability to donate masks or face shields to front line workers in your local region, there are still many ways you can give back to your communities:

1)     Wear a mask!  As more research is completed every day, it has been shown that there is a significant benefit of wearing a mask, both to protect yourself from someone who may be infected, as well as to protect others if you are unknowingly an asymptomatic carrier, ultimately preventing further spread.  If you have a mask, wear it proud!  And encourage everyone you know to do so too!

2)     Sew/donate masks to others!  An extra mask or two can go a long way.  If you have access to any extra masks, consider passing them along to friends and family members.

3)     Donate blood!  Due to the pandemic, there is has been a shortage of blood supply at hospitals.  To find a blood drive near you contact the Red Cross.

4)     Donate plasma!  If you or someone you know has recovered since testing positive for COVID-19, your plasma may have antibodies that can help those infected.  To see if you qualify click here.

5)     Volunteer opportunities!  There are many non-profit organizations that are organizing volunteer opportunities within their communities, and many of them don’t even involve you leaving your home!  Opportunities can be found in Maryland through a variety of resources. Click here for a list of Maryland nonprofit organizations. This other site has information about organizations seeking virtual volunteers - click here.

6) Food security is an issue for many people who have lost their jobs during this time. Consider donations to or volunteering at any reputable food bank. Click here for a link to the Maryland Food Bank.

The more we come together as a community, the bigger difference we can make to help protect those around us and to stop the spread of COVID-19.  For more information on Dankmeyer’s COVID-19 response regarding our day-to-day operations, please visit our page on COVID-19.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

To honor the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness month (October), Dankmeyer staff decided to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Denim Days for Halloween. We started the morning off with some ribbon shaped bagels. Then, for a 5$ donation, each person who decided to participate wore jeans for their Halloween costume! Staff members grabbed their favorite pair of jeans, and a little pink (or a lot of pink!), to show support for the American Cancer Society's work to save lives from breast cancer!

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Save a National Treasure

Dankmeyer employees and family members put on their "environmentalist hats" with a company-wide project. Dankmeyer team members collected cans and cashed them in at a local recycling center, using the proceeds to grow 2,500 Native Oysters through their purchase from The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Giving Catalog.

The cans were collected over the summer while sharing good times and creating memories with family and friends.  One day everyone at Dankmeyer shared soda (see the fridge filled below with a bit of summer sunshine!) and then we recycled the cans! We look forward to continuing our efforts over the course of the next year! 

For more information about the Chesapeake Bay and the living things there, click here.

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