NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — AMBUCS began life back in 1922 as American Business Clubs, a membership organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities. The local Hutchinson AMBUCS chapter continues that tradition by raising money for mobility tricycles called Amtryke.
"We've been in business here in Hutchinson for the last 41 years," said President Randall Haltom. "Basically, our mission is creating and inspiring mobility and independence for people with disabilities. We meet every Friday morning and we have speakers and we raise money to help people by furnishing Amtrykes, we also give away scholarships and we help the community in other ways by donating money."
The meetings are Fridays at 7 a.m. at the Downtown Sampler in the First National Bank building. The scholarships are for students going into physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. The Amtrykes are to help those who need those kinds of therapies to move on their own.
"You think of a tricycle, how's that going to help somebody?" Haltom said. "They're not able to walk or use their feet, so there's pedals up above, where the handlebars are that they can use to pedal around. You just see their face light up. For the first time, maybe in years, if ever, they have a way of moving around without assistance of a parent, or a brother or sister or a teacher, something like that."
A big fundraiser for AMBUCS is coming up next month at the Kansas State Fair.
"We would like to encourage everybody to come see us," Haltom said. "People know us from years ago as the ice cream booth. We redid that facility six or seven years ago, and it's now called The Sweet Shop. We tell people to stop and see us. Most people come back yearly once they get used to coming to us, because as soon as you open the door, a blast of cold air and the aroma of waffle cones is overwhelming. People love to come in and see us and we named it The Sweet Shop, too, because, in addition to ice cream cones, we do sundaes, we do cookies, ice cream sandwiches, we have fudge, you name it. Things like that."
It is the club's only fundraiser and they hope to net $25,000 to $30,000 from the fair. The Sweet Shop, renovated in 2014, is just down the road from the KWCH booth at the fairgrounds.