Posted on July 24, 2015
Teens raise money for limb difference program
Recent Hudsonville High School graduate Bailey Gulch was all smiles when she handed a white envelope to Mary Free Bed Annual Fund Director Jocelyn Dettloff. It contained checks totaling $1,000, all made payable to Mary Free Bed.
During her last semester of high school, 17-year-old Bailey spearheaded a fundraiser to help with the cost of prosthetic devices for children who might not otherwise receive them. Born with a limb difference, Bailey has opted not to use a prosthetic hand, “but I want to help kids who make a different choice,” she says.
Bailey and several classmates organized games during lunch, sponsored contests, sold T-shirts and solicited for donations. The efforts were part of a life skills class taught by Lindsey O’Gorman, who hopes to make the fundraiser an annual event. This gift to Mary Free Bed will make a difference in the lives of some of our youngest patients.
This fall, Bailey will be attending Aquinas College, where she received academic and bowling scholarships.
She plans to study counseling or education—and join the bowling team.
