Massage Therapy Foundation Benefits from Generosity

Several massage-field entities came together recently to donate funds to a leading massage-research organization.

The Massage Therapy Foundation, a public charity that advances the massage profession through research, education and community-service projects, received donations from events held in conjunction with the annual American Massage Therapy Association convention, held in Atlanta in October.

The AMTA convention exhibit hall featured a foot-treatment area, where attendees paid $10 for one of three specialized massage-and-exfoliation services, which raised $2,200. Angie Patrick from Massage Warehouse, a Scrip company, helped organize the project; students from The Heal Center and the High Tech Institute volunteered hands-on skills; Bon Vital provided body-care products; musician George Skaroulis also helped organize the event and provided CDs for clients to listen to on earphones during the treatments; Earthlite provided massage tables; Massage Today provided free advertising; Core products provided an electronic foot massager; and MASSAGE Magazine provided free advertising and a $1,000 donation, bringing the total raised by the project to $3,200.

"This money supports foundation grants for scientific research, education and community service," said foundation President Diana Thompson in a press release. "There were a lot of happy feet walking around convention this year … thank you to all who made this happen, for investing in the future of massage therapy."

The foundation also received donations from a post-convention dissection workshop taught by David Kent, founder of Kent Health Systems. Kent donated $500 personally, as well as the time and resources to create the workshop. As of press time, foundation Manager Colleen Kruse said, the amount raised by the workshop was not known.

To donate to the Massage Therapy Foundation or the Touch Research Institute, click here: http://massagemag.com/Magazine/donate.php

— Karen Menehan