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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Shriners Children\u2019s in Shreveport opened in 1922 and was the very first. Formally known as Shriners Hospital for Children, the network has now expanded to 22 nonprofit medical facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and has helped over 1.5 million children in the last 100 years. In 2022 alone, 140,000 children with various conditions, such as burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate, and various orthopedic needs, received specialized care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what about children who don\u2019t live close to a facility? A group of men from Lynchburg Shrine Club, known as \u201cRoad Runners,\u201d have made it their mission to chauffeur local children who have been burned to the Shriners Children\u2019s in Cincinnati, Ohio, over 400 miles away. They also volunteer to drive children and their parents who have other medical needs to the Greenville, South Carolina location, approximately 300 miles away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo man stands as tall as when he stoops to help a child\u201d is their motto, which has been used over the last century by the entire Shriners organization. These mostly retired volunteers use their own vehicles and even provide the gas to ensure these children and their parents arrive at their appointments safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Saville, a native of Lynchburg, is one of these men.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am a local business owner, married with three grown children, and I\u2019m actively involved in my community through numerous civic, charitable, and professional organizations. I\u2019ve held several leadership positions in different groups, and I\u2019m dedicated to my family, business, and our local community. I strive daily to improve myself and my community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing a Shrine Clown and entertaining the families while also bringing support for the children\u2019s hospital is what I enjoy most. The Shriners of Lynchburg are here to help children and their families during a time that, for many of them, is the worst thing they\u2019ve ever experienced, and we do it at no cost to them,\u201d expressed Saville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Saville was younger, he admired other men who were involved with the Shriners International organization, and longed to be a part of a well-established group that provided social interactions that made the community a better place to live for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe fraternal organization for men in the Lynchburg area strives to provide programs and services for our members, their families, and their friends through fellowship opportunities that increase social camaraderie. We also serve others through our commitment to Shriners Children\u2019s, a resource for medical care and intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our children are our future. When we do for the least among us, we all become stronger together. The Road Runners are doing their part to make sure every child has access to the healing hands at Shriners Children\u2019s. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ON A DRIZZLY Friday afternoon many years ago, my then 5-year-old son fell on our trampoline and suffered a terrible break that affected his growth plate right above his ankle. The tiny rural hospital\u2019s staff near our home did their best to make him comfortable. Still, in the area of Louisiana where we lived, pediatric […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":21586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lynchburg-va\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/05\/2-1-1024x683.png\")
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