La-Z-Boy awards school clinic $20,000

■ The amount is in addition to $54,216 the company distributed locally last month.

Bright Futures Siloam Springs and the Panther Health and Wellness Clinic received a $20,000 donation from La-Z-Boy Foundation on Tuesday.

The foundation also gave an additional $54,216 on behalf of the La-Z-Boy Arkansas manufacturing facility in Siloam Springs to 14 local organizations and nonprofits in May, according to Audra Farrell, human resources manager. The organizations wrote grant requests, which were evaluated by the foundation, she said. They were invited to the Siloam Springs manufacturing

facility for a special day of check presentations, she said.

“The funding is from the La-Z-Boy Foundation given on behalf of the La-Z-Boy Arkansas manufacturing facility located in Siloam Springs,” Farrell said. “This activity is a key component of the La-Z-Boy Community and Foundation Strategy to increase awareness of nonprofit organizations in the community where LaZ-Boy employees live, work and play.”

Krystal Wheat, director of Bright Futures and Panther Health and Wellness, called the donation a game changer. The school-based clinic, located in the north end of the intermediate school, provides physical and mental health care to students and staff in the Siloam Springs School District. Students with a signed consent form can be taken directly to the clinic for treatment by the school transportation department so that parents don’t have to take off work for doctor’s appointments.

“La-Z-Boy is honored to provide this source of funding for the 2019 Panther Health and Wellness Clinic designated for the use to develop health and wellness outreach programs, mental health responsiveness and mentoring to support the students, families, teachers and the community,” said Daren Davison, La-Z-Boy Arkansas General Manager. “We feel blessed to work for a company that is able and willing to invest in the Siloam Springs School District and our wonderful community.”

The clinic initially received a five-year grant from the state to fund its mission, but now that the five years are up it is responsible for sustaining itself.

“This will help us to fund the needed resources and professional development, those types of things, that we don’t have funding for at this point in time,” Wheat said. “It’s definitely a huge blessing and will help propel us to go forward.”

Janelle Jessen/Siloam Sunday La-Z-Boy Foundation presented a $20,000 check to Bright Futures and the Panther Health and Wellness Clinic on Tuesday. Pictured, from left, are Daren Davison, La-Z-Boy general manager; Don Austin, La-Z-Boy continuous improvement manager for La-Z-Boy; Mike Wilmon, La-ZBoy production manager; Audra Farrell, La-Z-Boy human resources manager; Grace Davis, school district director of teacher quality and community relations; Consuelo Balderrama, of Panther Health and Wellness Clinic; Krystal Wheat, director of Panther Health and Wellness Clinic and Bright Futures Siloam Springs; and Ken Ramey, school superintendent.