International Physical Therapy Day of Service
Jan 1, 2020
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On Saturday October 14, 2017, our Doctor of Physical Therapy students at our Goodyear Arizona Campus took part in the International Physical Therapy Day of Service (PTDOS). “We had 33 DPT students volunteer for, and also assist, the City of Goodyear, Arizona with their annual ‘Make a Difference Day’ working to beautify our city” said Assistant Professor Dr. Scott Richardson PT, PhD. Dr. Richardson added that “despite being incredibly busy with their classes and clinical work, these students volunteered their time for a very worthy cause”.
Arizona DPT students have been involved in community service for 8 years, participating in a broad range of projects. Each year there are students from the program who volunteer to help coordinate service activities and provide their classmates with opportunities to "make a difference”. The City of Goodyear has been hosting a “Make a Difference Day” for the past 10 years. Last year, this event ha 400 volunteers provide 1600 hours of service for a total of $38,600 added back to the city.
The PTDOS Story;
In February of 2015 Dr. of Physical Therapy (DPT) Efosa Guobadia, while doing health volunteer work off the Amazon River in Peru, asked “What if?”
The answer to that particular What if moment turned out to be something that had been “bubbling in the back of my mind”, said Guobadia, “What if, on the same day, clinicians, students and associated staff of the Physical Therapy profession volunteered in different communities around the world?”
“Being on the Amazon and watching the river flow, I couldn’t help but think of our profession of Physical Therapy as a flowing river. A river made up of passion, love, life, kindness, and heart. A river that enhances and is enhanced by the shores it passes and the encounters it makes. Our River. Our Profession. Our Communities. The idea was taking form that a Day of Service would be another wave to have a positive impact on all involved. I was smiling as the thought was developing and I knew I had to share it with someone. I emailed Josh right away...” he added.
Josh D'Angelo, fellow DPT, said “Let's shoot for the stars.” He added, “This particular email happened to be a new idea, something to the effect of starting a 'PT Day of Service’.”
In just two years, PT Day of Service has brought together nearly 8,000 volunteers from 42 countries.
