St. Boniface Rotary Helps St.Amant Build First Sensory Swimming Pool In Canada

The St.Amant Foundation and the clients of 7 St.Amant Community Homes are very grateful to the St. Boniface / St. Vital Rotary Club for funding a sensory room in each of those homes at a cost of approximately $20,000.

The goal of a sensory room is to calm or stimulate an individual through each of the senses. These rooms are extremely therapeutic for both children and adults with sensory processing disorders, from mild to severe. Each room is tailored to address an individual’s special needs and the sensory equipment was purchased and installed in each of the homes by St.Amant’s Occupational Therapy and Clinical Technician staff. Photos of the completed sensory rooms are available upon request.

 “Sensory rooms create nurturing and stimulating spaces for the people we support. The rooms are well used and loved by everyone who gets the opportunity to spend time in them. Similar to an experience of going to a spa, people are surrounded by sounds, smells, sights and textures that decrease anxiety, stress levels and provide opportunities to control their environment to suit their moods,” Said Leanne Fenez, Director of the Community Residential Program at St.Amant.

Rotary’s President Elect, Mr. Bruce Sloane said they chose to support St.Amant with the proceeds of their annual golf tournament “because of St.Amant’s long history in our area of the city and the unique portion of the community it serves. St.Amant’s dedication and support it provides to improve the life of its clients makes them the ideal organization to support with one of Rotary’s Community Service projects.”

The Rotary Club has also committed to fund a really exciting new project to adapt the environment in St.Amant’s indoor swimming pool (located at River Road Place) to an interactive sensory area. Clients will be able to not only benefit from the hydrotherapy but will also use all of their senses in a highly motivating environment. This unique concept is the first of its kind in Manitoba. Phase 1, of the $40,000 project will begin this year.

St.Amant Foundation Director, James Cooper says “Partnerships are at the heart of our success at St.Amant, and our partnership with the Rotary of St. Boniface and St.Vital is a wonderful example of this statement. It will be a very meaningful day when Manitoba’s very first Sensory Pool is completed at River Road Place, and each faction of this partnership will share a profound sense of pride in knowing how lives will be changed as a result of our collective efforts.”

The ongoing collaboration between St.Amant and the St. Boniface/St. Vital Rotary Club has made a significant impact towards improving the lives of Manitobans with developmental disabilities and their families.

You are invited to visit with the St. Boniface / St. Vital Rotary at their lunch meeting monthly lunch meeting May 17th, 2011 at 12:15pm at the Niakwa Golf & Country Club 620 Niakwa Road where Flaghouse, the sensory designers, will present their design for the innovative, first of its kind sensory pool in Canada.

For more information:
Jennifer Rodrigue, Communications Coordinator
204-258-7060
204-803-5781
jrodrigue@stamant.mb.ca