'A source of strength': As war rages, Morris County faiths unite for annual Ramadan dinner
NEWS

Rockaway Twp. foundation giving a day to remember

Ellen S. WilkoweCorrespondent

What started as a company’s catalog photo shoot of children wearing a new pediatric brace with “joy on their faces,” developed into a nonprofit designed to give the physically-challenged a day to remember.

AllardUSA, a Rockaway Twp.-based company specializing in orthotics, wanted pictures of children using a pediatric brace called KiddieGait so the shoot had been set up to catch the kids having fun on a playground and using a mini-obstacle course.

“I remember thinking that using the photos for the catalog was a just a selfish way to look at things,” said Allard USA President Peter Allard during a phone interview from his native Sweden. “I wanted to make events like these happen more out in the open.”

So Allard created the Dralla Foundation in 2009 to help adults and children with physical challenges to get out and have fun.

An orthosis is an externally applied device used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal system, according to the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists.

“A prosthetic replaces a part of the body like the loss of a leg but an orthosis supports a part of the body that has malfunction,” Allard added. “Kids born with their foot in a certain way will probably always need an orthotic or a stroke survivor may need devices to help their limbs function.”

People requiring orthosis can range from amputees to individuals with conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, traumatic brain injury or stroke, to name a few. These conditions result in physical limitations due to impaired muscular function including weakness, atrophy, lack of coordination or control, as well as posture and balance issues, among others.

According to the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists , the number of people with paralysis, deformity or orthopedic impairments is expected to hit 7.5 million by 2020.

Allard provided the initial $100,000 which funded grants to 13 organizations that aligned with his mission to help those affected get out and have fun.

Dralla supports agencies like Kinetic Kids, which is a weeklong bike camp for children with special needs based in San Antonio, Texas or Camp Summit, a weeklong sleep away camp for adults and children with special needs, based in Dallas.

Locally, Dralla awarded a grant last year to the New Jersey-based chapter of Heroes on the Water. The nonprofit organization is run by veterans who assist other veterans recovering from physical injuries, brain traumas or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to Jonathan Mueller, a spokesperson for the New Jersey chapter.

Founded in 2007 in Texas, HOW offers service members and their families a day of kayaking and fishing at no cost. The New Jersey Chapter, which debuted in 2012, supplies the kayaks, fishing gear, a personal tour guide and lunch, Mueller said.

The organization works closely with the Veterans Affairs Lyons campus as well as Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Twp.

The proximity of Picatinny to Lyons has enabled HOW to take out a smaller group of veterans on a more frequent basis, which is one of the organizations goals, Mueller said.

In addition to Allard’s initial $100,000 donation made in 2011, grant money also comes from a portion of proceeds from ToeOFF, an ankle foot orthosis that helps individuals with physical challenges resulting from ankle instabilities achieve a more normal walking pattern. KiddieGait is the pediatric version and the subject matter of the photo shoot that set the wheels in motion for the Dralla Foundation to take root.

Allard USA is a subsidiary of Camp Scandinavia, which manufactures and supplies equipment for the orthotics and prosthetics industry worldwide. The company, which was founded in 1954, evolved into a father-son partnership, with Allard taking the helm in 2006, the same year he established its United States subsidiary, Allard USA. He opted for Rockaway Twp. due to its proximity to Newark Airport. The Dralla Foundation is housed in the same building as the company.

The nonprofit borrows its name from Allard, who offered up his name spelled backwards. “I wanted to keep the charity organization and the company name separate,” he said.

Jennifer Buehler, Dralla’s grant program administrator, envisions a five-year plan in which the organization can continue to donate to meaningful organizations in larger amounts.

“This will make it possible for individuals with disabilities to have a day to remember,” Buehler said.

To learn more or donate: http://dralla.org .