AC student raises funds for local Ottawa not-for-profit 

Posted on Monday, July 25th, 2022

After a long year of online schooling, missed placement opportunities, and little peer– to– peer interaction, working with Ausome Ottawa was just the burnout medicine that Katie Groves needed.

Ausome Ottawa is a not-for-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of families living with autism through sport. Algonquin College’s Occupational and Physical Therapy programs have proudly partnered with Ausome Ottawa’s Fine Motor Program for many years now, working in tandem to provide a safe space where children can thrive, and AC students can gain hands– on experience.

When COVID-19 restrictions began to ease, Groves and her classmates joined a gaggle of energetic children in the AC Recreation Gym for some fine motor play. From trampolines to scooters, together Ausome Ottawa and AC’S students created a fun and comfortable environment for the Ausome Ottawa athletes to play and learn.

“I had such a positive experience with Ausome,” says Groves. “I was beginning to lose the end goal and was having a hard time visualizing my future in the field, but my time with Ausome really put things back into perspective.”

Groves, a second-year student of the Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physiotherapy Assistant program, was so inspired by her time with the Ausome Ottawa athletes that she deiced to take her support for their programming even further.

“Knowing that they rely heavily on volunteers and donations, I felt the least I could do was organize a fundraiser to support them,” says Groves. “So, I started a bottle drive in May and have been collecting bottles in my community ever since.”

Groves has raised $250 so far and is hoping to raise $500 by the end of the summer.

“I really just want to help Ausome continue running their amazing programs, because all kids deserve to play,” says Groves.

If you want to support Groves’ bottle drive, please contact her at katieegroves@outlook.com.


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