Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine is celebrating National Physical Therapy Month in October by organizing its fourth annual community food drive. The GIVE BACK Community Food Drive will run from Oct. 1-31 at locations in Great Bend, Larned and Hays.
For the fourth year in a row, all food collected in Great Bend will be donated to the Community Food Bank of Barton County, said Teresa Malone, Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine co-owner.
As the need for donations has increased, Malone said she has been impressed with the community participation.  “We enjoy conducting this drive because we feel it really is a community event where so many small contributions add up to make such a remarkable difference for those in need,” Malone said in 2013. “Organizing the drive is also an opportunity for Advanced Therapy to give back to our community, which has been supportive of our business for the past 27 years.”
Participants don’t have to be patients to get involved, explained Malone. The fact the business is open Monday through Friday makes it a convenient drop-off location for the public at large as well as regular physical therapy, rehabilitation, and pain management patients. They can drop off non-perishable food items at Advanced Therapy, 3715 10th St., in the Cottonwood Shopping Center, during the week. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Community Food Bank is located at 3007 10th St. and is open from 1-3 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The same building houses Emergency Aid, which is open from 8:30-11 a.m. on those days. Food donations may be dropped off any time the Food Bank or Emergency Aid are open.
Anyone with questions may contact Advanced Therapy, 620-792-7868.