Late last year, the Austin Hatcher Foundation partnered with BOOSTane to provide an opportunity for two participants in its Industrial Arts therapy program to work on a Ford Bronco, the organization announced.
At the end of 2022, BOOSTane Octane Engineering was driving its “Fandango” Ford Bronco through Chattanooga on the way to the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The high-performance fuel company stopped by the Austin Hatcher Foundation garage, where they met two young boys in the Industrial Arts therapy program who helped put a few finishing touches on the Bronco. The boys, one in current treatment and the other a pediatric cancer survivor, built the Bronco’s spare tire cargo rack and then attached it to the car, before it was featured on the SEMA Show floor.
“I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with the team over at AHF on our BOOSTane Bronco build,” said Ian Lehn, founder of BOOSTane. “Getting to not only work with the kids but learning how the intricate work that we were doing on the installation also doubled as cognitive therapy for them was incredible. Seeing the young boys excited to be building something was incredible in itself, but that it was also helping with their recovery was truly moving. The people at AHF have built something incredibly innovative and nurturing for those who need it most. The BOOSTane team was blessed to be able to be a part of it.”
The Industrial Arts program at AHF is a STEM-based, educational therapy program that allows children to apply the freedom of movement as a form of rehabilitation, the organization said. Tightening a bolt or successfully threading a needle gives the child a feeling of accomplishment all the while exercising fine motor skills important for cognition, working memory and impulse control – all factors affected through childhood cancer.
Industrial Arts Therapy is one of many free services the Austin Hatcher Foundation provides to families faced with childhood cancer, along with other ancillary services such as mental health therapy, various forms of counseling, family programs, art and music therapy, and more.
“Our Industrial Arts program is so much more than simple diversionary therapy for these kids,” said Daniel Fosbinder, industrial arts manager at the Foundation. “They get to problem-solve, learn new skills, use new tools and see their project take shape, all while having a sense of accomplishment when they see it through to completion.”
You can read more about the partnership, as well as the Industrial Arts therapy program, by clicking here.
