Energex sponsorship helps prevent spinal injuries on the Sunshine Coast

More than 200 Year 7 students at Mountain Creek State School were given a compelling lesson yesterday about the realities of life after a spinal cord injury, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Energex. The innovative Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT) was recently presented with $25,000 from Energex, helping them continue to provide their powerful injury prevention program to primary and secondary students throughout Queensland.

Celebrating the generous sponsorship, SEAT presenter Wayne Leo, who uses a wheelchair after sustaining a spinal cord injury, yesterday visited Mountain Creek State School – the first school to benefit from the partnership.

Wayne sustained his injury in a hit-and-run motorbike accident when he was 24 years old, and has educated nearly 223,000 students on preventing spinal cord injuries in the past two decades.

“The SEAT program celebrates an amazing 21 years of service to the community this year, with more than 80,000 children having viewed the program on the Sunshine Coast alone” Wayne said.

“We are delighted with the generous support of Energex and look forward to reaching many more students at many more schools throughout Queensland, particularly in the south east corner.”

Energex North Coast Principal Asset Officer Stephen Fairless accompanied Wayne to the school and presented a cheque to the Spinal Injuries Association, which operates the SEAT program.

“Energex is dedicated to helping keep our communities safe; prevention is always the best measure when it comes to safety,” Mr Fairless said.

“The SEAT injury prevention program is an excellent way to promote safety awareness in our community, and we are delighted at the opportunity to support such a worthwhile cause.”

Wayne said the SEAT program aimed to speak to about 80,000 students this year.

“I am one of 14 presenters around Queensland who uses an Education Queensland-accredited multimedia program to share these important safety messages, as well as speak about how we sustained our injuries and how it has changed our lives forever,” he said.

The SEAT presenters, who all have paraplegia or quadriplegia and use a wheelchair, have spoken to more than 1.1 million children in primary and secondary schools around Queensland during the past two decades.

“With the assistance of this powerful, effective program, Queensland is the only state in Australia that has seen a constant reduction in the incidence of spinal cord injuries over the past 10 years, moving from the highest rate to the second-lowest rate in the country today,” Wayne said.

“However, the sad fact remains that the majority of the 90 Queenslanders who do incur a spinal cord injury ever year are between the ages of 15 and 30.

“That is why we are targeting school children because they are in – or close to – this high risk age category.”

Key messages in the program include the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts, to check water depth before diving, to play sports fairly and by the rules, and not to rock on chairs.

The SEAT program is supported by Energex, Disability Services Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Motor Accident Insurance Commission and the Gambling Community Benefit Fund.

To book a SEAT visit at a school or workplace, please contact 1800 810 513 or visit www.spinal.com.au.

Issued 12 March 2008.