Mr. Speaker, over 20,000 children in Ontario today live with a physical disability. That is why I take great pride in rising today to honour Easter Seals Ontario, a remarkable charity that has been operating for over 85 years.
The sole mission of Easter Seals Ontario is to create a better, more independent life for kids, youth and young adults living with a physical disability. Easter Seals outreach work also helps educate Ontarians and all levels of government.
The charity's principle purpose, however, is to help provide vital funding to the families of kids with physical disabilities for costly equipment such as wheelchairs, home and vehicle retrofits, and communication devices. Average families often face high costs of between $10,000 and $40,000 a year, particularly as a child grows. It also delivers one of North America's most highly regarded camping and recreational programs for the physically disabled.
I hope the House will join me today in wishing Easter Seals a very successful fundraising campaign during its “March is Easter Seals Month” campaign, and in recognizing the thousands of volunteers and donors who make the work of Easter Seals possible every day.