Many children in our community struggle with dyslexia. It is one of the most common learning disabilities, noted by educators and diagnosed by physicians.

That is one of the reasons why Physician HealthCare Network, a 30-plus physician practice with offices in Fort Gratiot, Port Huron, Marysville, East China and northern Macomb County, recently held its first-ever casino-night fundraiser to support those with dyslexia, “Betting on a Better Future For Dyslexia.”

The event raised more than $24,000, which will be used to provide local educators with the resources and support they need to help children with dyslexia be successful in the classroom and in all of their educational endeavors.

PHCN chose the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to manage the funds raised by establishing a corporate donor-advised fund at the foundation.

“We chose to establish a fund within the Community Foundation for a number of reasons,” said Colette Champine, chief operating officer for PHCN. “First, our corporate priority is caring for patients and the priority of the Community Foundation is caring for donor investments; using their services to manage our corporate giving needs removed a lot of worry and burden from our organization.

“Secondly, establishing this fund through the Community Foundation enables others to contribute if their donor needs match our mission, thus allowing our fund to grow in the future.”

The creation of the PHCN corporate donor-advised fund was a first for the Community Foundation.

“Physician Healthcare Network is leading the way by opening our first corporate donor advised fund,” said Jackie Hanton, vice president of the Community Foundation. “Though we have many donor advised funds for individuals and family giving, PHCN turned to us for a cost-effective and meaningful solution for their corporate giving. It’s such a pleasure to work with an organization that prioritizes giving back.”

Dyslexia is a medical condition that greatly impacts a child’s ability to read and learn effectively.
“As a family physician, I see children every day who are affected by a wide variety of learning disabilities, including dyslexia,” said John Colombo, M.D., a family physician with PHCN. “As a child, I struggled with dyslexia, and I know that receiving appropriate educational instruction can make all of the difference for a child who struggles with this condition.

“This disorder affects more people than is often realized. It not only affects their ability to read and write, but it impacts their entire educational experience. It is expensive to train educators to help those who need it, but students who receive proper help watch their worlds open up as they begin experiencing educational success.”

PHCN plans to host its second annual casino night fundraiser for the dyslexia fund in October 2019.

For more information about contributing to the fund or setting up a corporate donor-advised fund, please contact Jackie Hanton at the Community Foundation at 810-984-4761.