Physician Assistant Club Raises $1,700 for Children's Charity

Students in the Physician Assistant Club at Pennsylvania College of Technology raised $1,700 for a children's charity during a two-week fund-raiser in September.

The money was raised through a T-shirt sale and donated to the Cancer Recovery Foundation, Children's Project. Through contributions, the Harrisburg-based nonprofit organization hosts hospital parties for children who make frequent overnight hospital stays, removed from family, friends and familiar surroundings. The parties include gift bags and crafts for the children.

Each year, the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants holds a competition among college physician assistant programs statewide to see which can raise the most for a selected charity, this year earmarking funds for Cancer Recovery Foundation, Children's Project. The Penn College Physician Assistant Club was honored by PSPA for its first-place, $1,700 effort. Fourteen colleges and universities in Pennsylvania offer accredited PA programs.

"It was a big accomplishment for the club, having two weeks to raise money for the charity and then coming in first place to schools with more physician assistant students," said Bethany K. Lavallee, of Jersey Shore, president of the Physician Assistant Club. "The participation among students was astounding."

Penn College's Physician Assistant Club has 73 members. The club's goal is to promote the professional growth of students and serve as a channel for the exchange of ideas between peers, professionals and the community in the physician assistant field.

For more information about the academic programs offered by the School of Health Sciences at Penn College, call (570) 327-4519, e-mail or visit online.