Seniors seize the chance to pay it forward
Sep. 4—OROFINO — After years of painful rehabilitation resulting from cerebral palsy at his birth, Orofino High School senior Mick Zenner was inspired to pay back his benefactors through his senior project.
Zenner and his cousin, Bridger Kennedy, a senior at Lewiston High School, both 18, raised more than $8,000 last week in a cornhole tournament at the Orofino City Park. Donations are continuing to come in, Kennedy said, and all of the proceeds will be donated to Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane.
"I decided, probably in my junior year I was going to do this," said Zenner. "I was thinking on it and, yeah, I want to donate to Shriners Hospital because they've helped me out with my condition. I wanted to thank Shriners for everything they've done for me. I wanted to give back to them for helping me and give back to the kids that are there now, trying to get treatments."
Zenner was born two months premature and a lack of oxygen during the birthing process caused cerebral palsy, he said. Until he was 4 years old, he could not walk and his muscles would contract involuntarily, creating great pain.
At age 4, Zenner started treatment at Shriners, a nationally known organization that provides life-giving care to children, regardless of their families' ability to pay. The hospital relies heavily on fundraisers and donations.
Therapy included swimming, horseback riding and various strengthening exercises for his lower body. He also has received botox injections.
At one point, Zenner said, a doctor in New York treated him with alcohol blocks in his hips.
"Thanks to that one surgeon, that really helped me and I've been able to walk," Zenner said.
Monthly visits to the Spokane hospital eventually were reduced and now he goes back for checkups about once a year.
Although the effects of his condition are still visible in his gait, Zenner has not let it slow him down. He plays basketball on the school team, football for fun, he hikes, he goes hunting and he likes to play cornhole with his friends. He also has an after-school job with Hanson Garage Inc. in Orofino.
"It's not painful but when I'm standing for a long time I can feel my legs and feet getting tired," he said. "I can't jump and I can't do some of the things that other kids can do. But I'm working at it."
Zenner and Kennedy developed a strategy for their senior project and began advertising around Orofino and Lewiston.
Although Kennedy does not have cerebral palsy, he wanted to help his cousin, "because it was just a good cause that we were donating to Shriners. They've done a lot for him," he said.
The boys solicited donations for a raffle before the tournament and had some major contributions, including an e-bike and two smokers from CCI/Speer Operations in Lewiston and other items from Hanson Garage. Raffle tickets sold for $50 each and the boys sold 100 of them.
Twenty-six teams turned out for the tournament, paying $100 per team entry fees.
Kennedy said the action was exciting, especially the end match.
"It was pretty cool to watch them play," he said.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Zenner spoke and had a long list of donors and other contributors to thank. He was emotionally overcome, he said, and saw that several people in the audience had tears in their eyes, too.
"I just wanted to thank everybody for coming out to the tournament and supporting the Shriners," Zenner said. "It means a lot to me as a patient and I can't wait to see the smiles on the faces of people at Shriners when I give them the check. I can't wait."
Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.
