Easter Seals Southern Nevada (ESSN) CEO and President Brian Patchett might be one of the youngest leaders of the internationally recognized non-profit organization, but he has big plans on impacting the Las Vegas community.
Easter Seals provides services nationwide to more than 1 million children, adults and their family members annually. The organization has been helping individuals for more than 80 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help the disabled address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.
Although Easter Seals has been serving the Southern Nevada community for more than 25 years, it has nearly doubled in size over the last two years. Before then, people who required disability services often lacked the necessary assistance, but Patchett said his vision is to “provide services to people with disabilities so they can live, work and play independently without being institutionalized.”
Patchett has transformed the organization, overhauling the budget, adding programs, and adding to the staff. He has helped the Southern Nevada location grow to more than 110 employees.
ESSN now offers nine programs, compared to only five when Patchett took the helm of the organization’s Southern Nevada chapter. Within the past two years the staff has welcomed new services, including Recreation, Assistive Technology, Transition Connect and Early Intervention. These new programs join with existing programs: Adult Day Services; Child Development Center; Family Respite; Job Training and Employment; and Supported Living. In 2007, ESSN will be exploring the need for adult daycare and in-home care services for seniors.
The newest program offered through ESSN focuses on early intervention with children from birth to 3 years old. This program offers a family-centered approach to working with children who have special needs. With this new service, ESSN hopes to increase services to children and their families in their natural home environment.
Patchett, who joined the Southern Nevada branch as CEO and president in 2004, has been helping Easter Seals serve families of people with disabilities for more than 10 years, Patchett is also a member of the community of people with disabilities – he became visually impaired at the age of seven. Despite his disability, he continued to develop his athletic and academic abilities throughout his childhood and continues these passions to this day.
Golf Tournament and Fashion Show Planned
ESSN has teamed with the Steven Jackson Foundation for a golf tournament fundraiser and high-end fashion show on Feb. 20, 2007. The golf tournament will be held at Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock, while the fashion show will be hosted by a top-rated night club on the Las Vegas Strip. The show will feature athletes from the National Football League and models from SecretsInc.
Along with these community events, Jackson and additional members of the NFL will be hosting a youth mini-football camp on Feb. 19. The camp, which welcomes all children under the age of 14, will be held at the UNLV practice fields. Participants will not only have a day of fun, but will also receive a T-shirt and have autograph opportunities with the athletes.
Additional NFL athletes scheduled to attend are St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and wide receiver Torry Holt. Easter Seals also welcomes Carolina Panthers linebacker Adam Seward, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Drew Bennett and San Diego Chargers wide receiver and UNLV Hall of Famer Keenan McCardell.
Jackson is currently one of the NFL’s top-10 running backs, rushing for more than 900 yards this season. Jackson, a local graduate of El Dorado High School, is well known in Las Vegas for his community involvement and work with local charities.
Easter Seals of Southern Nevada
6200 W. Oakey Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89146
702-870-7050
Eastersealssn.org
