The Ventilator 5K
Respiratory Therapist, PUSH THAT VENT!
No, this isn’t “Extreme Makeover, Respiratory Care Edition.” You won’t find a new house at the end of the American Respiratory Care Foundation’s upcoming Ventilator 5K.
What you will find, however, is a great way to raise much needed funds for respiratory needs in your own community while having a great time with colleagues and friends.
ARCF Trustee Steven B. Nelson, MS, RRT, CPFT, FAARC, explains in the following Q&A —
What is the Ventilator 5K, and why did the
ARCF decide to have this event?
The basic premise is to assemble and register a team of pushers, obtain pledges for pushing a ventilator five kilometers, optionally make the ventilator look speedier, get media lined up to cover it, then “Push that vent!” -- it lacks some of the panache of “Move that bus!”, but you get the idea.
There are two main objectives: 1. Raise community awareness of respiratory disease by performing a public event, and 2. Raise money for the ARCF to support local grants for health promotion and disease prevention.
Who can participate in the event?
Teams can be formed by state societies, Better Breathers Clubs, hospital
departments, etc. Teams will consist of at least five people, one designated
as crew chief, the rest the pit crew. There is no maximum number —
if 5,000 people get together and each one pushes one meter, great! There
will be a minimum level of $500 worth pledges to be obtained. Once the
team has been registered, the crew chief will be responsible for setting
out a 5K course.
What kind of ventilators can be used in the
event?
Ventilators can be anything from an antique Puritan Bennett TV2P, Bird
Mark 8, or Emerson, to the latest model in your hospital. The only requirement
is that it must have wheels to allow it to be pushed — although
the wheels do not need to be the original manufacturer’s wheels.
They can be modified to make pushing easier. The vent cannot have any
means of propulsion other than being pushed by hand. Each group has
to provide its own ventilator.
Will there be prizes or awards? If so, what
do you have planned?
There will be points awarded for most creative ventilator, most creative 5K course, best media coverage (adjusted for the size of the market), most money raised for the ARCF, and possibly a few more. We’ll be announcing the specific awards shortly.
How will the ARCF be using the money that
is raised?
The money raised will be targeted at supporting local efforts. Since we have no idea how big a response we will get, it is a little hard to say what will be done specifically, but I envision most of the funds being sent out as grants for everything from sponsoring speakers at community meetings to direct assistance to patients. There will be a short and simple, expedited grant request process.
When will the event take place?
The individual 5Ks can be held any time, but all forms will have to be
submitted to the ARCF office prior to November 10. The winners will be
announced during the AARC annual business meeting at the 53rd Congress
in Orlando, FL.
Back
to Support
