News

Call for participants and sponsors for Hallowheels!!! This is CATS’ wheelchair costume competition and annual FUNdraiser.

As the founder of C.A.T.S., Cathie Cummins volunteered to serve in the role of executive director, but in it’s 7th year, the time has come for C.A.T.S. to have a professional CEO. After working tirelessly to create and grow the organization, Cathie is ready to retire. C.A.T.S. is therefore pleased to announce that John Naples, senior program manager, will take over as interim executive director as of January 1, 2021.

C.A.T.S. is pleased to receive a grant from the C. Mead Boxley Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia.

Children’s Assistive Technology Service (CATS) was honored to receive a $100,000 donation made possible by Lynn and Foster Friess in honor of Isabella Maria Santorum.  Foster Friess is an investment manager and philanthropist from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   

THANK YOU to everyone who gave to CATS on Roanoke Valley Gives Day! 98 donors contributed $15,410.00 in just 24hrs!!! Whether you gave yesterday, last week, or last year, we are grateful to you and the support you provide so that we can continue to serve VA’s children with disAbilties and their families.

The C.A.T.S. resource committee is currently working on a fundraising project to create a unique cookbook that will include family friendly recipes as well as recipes for those with special dietary and nutrition needs.    We would love to have families participate by providing recipes to be considered for the book. 

And they are off and running! That would be the Emory & Henry College OT graduate students, with assist from their PT graduate student colleagues, who are taking on the management of an entire CATS location, on their campus in Marion, VA. On April 17th, nearly 40 students participated in the first Equipment Scrub.

C.A.T.S. is pleased to announce that we have been named the recipient of grants from the Edgar A. Thurman Children’s Foundation, Rotary Club of Norfolk, Smith Mountain Lake Antique and Classic Boat Society, Smith Mountain Lake Women’s Club, the Marjorie Sutton Memorial Foundation and the Moneta Lion’s Club.

Due to the planned retirement of our Executive Director later this year or early next, we are seeking applicants for the next Executive Director to lead our organization into a future which will allow increased access to durable medical equipment to children and families who need it, when they need it to acquire next step of development, participate in family activities, and not only survive but thrive.

Ho, Ho, Ho, CATS is kicking off the holiday season with a special offer! Cece Bell, a wonderful children’s book author and illustrator who lives here in Virginia, has completed a special project just for C.A.T.S. Unbelievable, but TRUE! She has created a specially illustrated 5” x 8” card for us to give donors who want to honor someone special with a gift to C.A.T.S.