Twenty-two children with special needs had an exciting day of water fun on June 16 thanks to a record number of volunteers who turned out to assist with MCG Children's Medical Center's Wee Can Ski event. The annual event, which is held at the Ford Gordon Recreation Area on Clark's Hill Lake, allows kids who have limited or no use of their arms and legs to enjoy the exhilaration and independence of water skiing.

"Some of the children are a little apprehensive at first but when they come back they are grinning ear to ear," commented Julie Moretz, Director of Family Services Development for the Children's Medical Center. "The first thing they ask is 'Can I do it again?'"

More than 150 volunteers from the Children's Medical Center, Fort Gordon and the community made the event possible. The large number of volunteers is necessary to ensure the safety of the young participants. Volunteers break into teams, each with a specific responsibility. The first team places the child in a special harness seat attached to skis and maneuvers the ski apparatus into position behind the waiting boat.

The speedboat that pulls the skier is manned with another team of four people that includes a certified lifeguard, a release person and a physical therapist. The physical therapist is on board to observe the child during the entire excursion, assuring that he or she does not become overly tired. The release expert is on standby to instantly release the rope pulling the skier if necessary, since the children are not able to hold or let go of the rope as a traditional skier would. If an emergency arises or the child needs to stop skiing while the boat is out on the lake, a lifeguard is onboard who can immediately dive in to assist the child and hold him or her in an upright position until they can resume the trip or bring the skier into the boat for a ride back to shore.

A second lifeguard follows the skier on a jet ski at a safe distance behind the boat. The jet ski is driven by yet another volunteer so that the lifeguard can quickly jump in the water to assist the child if necessary.

At the end of their trip, the ski boat brings the child in near the shore where yet another team of volunteers called "the catchers" is on standby, located at various intervals in the shallow water. When the ski rope is released, the team member closest to the child quickly takes control of the skiing chair as the child glides into the shallow water. A final team of volunteers is on hand to remove the child from the apparatus and take him or her safely to shore.

The water was a little choppy this year, according to Ms. Moretz, so it was comforting to have such a large group of volunteers to assure the children's safety.

One rather mischievous skier caused the biggest excitement of the day. He discovered by leaning to the side he could tip the skiing apparatus over and make the lifeguard jump out of the boat and into the water, which the child found very amusing. The Children's Medical Center plans to continue the annual summer excursion and eventually sponsor two events each year.

MCG Healthcare is the health system of the Medical College of Georgia and is composed of MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty of the School of Medicine and the members of the Physicians Practice Group. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Hospitals and Clinics, Children's Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by offering the highest level of primary and specialty healthcare.