Leading non-profit massage college continues its 33-year giving streak, both locally and globally
BOULDER, Co. (April 28, 2009) - Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT), a leader in massage therapy education since 1975, today announces the launch of its Massage for Peace 2009 fundraising campaign (www.massage4peace.org) to help those in need whose daily lives are impacted by suffering, pain, poverty, disease, war and conflict, and a lack of access to wellness services. A goal of raising $25,000 will support the growth of BCMT's local service-learning program as well as other peace efforts throughout the world, including its global outreach to Dharamsala, India.
"Have you ever wondered what would happen if everyone in the world received a massage?" said Jan Combs, president of the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. "There is no doubt in our minds that the effects of massage can produce a more peaceful world."
The local outreach of the Massage for Peace campaign is BCMT's service-learning program. Each year, Boulder College of Massage Therapy students in the program provide up to 10,000 volunteer hours of therapeutic touch services to individuals in need as well as organizations in the Denver Metro area that serve the elderly, hospice and AIDS patients, breast cancer survivors, chronic disease sufferers, healthcare workers, rehabilitating animals, teachers and firefighters.
"At Boulder Community Hospital alone, students contribute yearly on average 250 hours of therapeutic massage to patients in prenatal, postpartum, cancer, cardiac, and orthopedic care," said Carol Brunelli, director of enrollment and services at BCMT. "In today's marketplace ($1 per minute for massage), that's worth $15,000. At 33 years, 10,000 hours a year at $60 an hour, that's an eight-figure donation of approximately $19,800,000."
The global outreach of the Massage for Peace campaign begins in the fall of 2009 with a BCMT trip to Dharamsala, India, to assist in the setup of a nonprofit massage training center for Tibetan refugees founded by BCMT alumna, Maria August (class of 1995). Last fall, August founded a massage therapy-training program for Tibetan refugees in affiliation with local nonprofit Lha Charitable Trust (http://www.lhaindia.org/).
Boulder College of Massage Therapy is sponsoring the 10-day trip to India, and alumni and faculty will share their years of training and professional experience with the students and graduates of August's program. One of the goals of the Massage for Peace fundraising efforts is to be able to sponsor eight massage therapists in the program. Refugees often have a hard time finding a source of income, and graduates of this program will increase their quality of life through learning the skill of massage therapy. They will also join their fellow U.S. Massage for Peace Ambassadors and become international Massage for Peace Ambassadors.
For more information about the Massage for Peace campaign, visit http://www.bcmt.org/massageforpeace/. If you would like to donate to the Massage for Peace campaign, visit http://www.bcmt.org/About/donate-to-bcmt.htm.
Check out BCMT's Green Chi Blog at http://www.bcmt.org/blog/. Visit BCMT on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@BCMT).
About Boulder College of Massage Therapy
Founded in 1975, the Boulder College of Massage Therapy (BCMT) is an independent, not-for-profit massage therapy college offering an internationally recognized 1000-Hour Massage Therapy Certificate Program, an Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) Degree in Massage Therapy, advanced certificates and continuing education courses. More than 4000 graduates in fifty states and 31 different countries turned to BCMT to help them achieve their career goals. As a not-for-profit organization, BCMT believes in educating people on the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy and giving back to the community. As part of their training, BCMT students participate in service learning, providing thousands of hours of massage therapy services a year to individuals and organizations including the elderly, hospice and AIDS patients, breast cancer survivors, healthcare workers, rehabilitating animals, teachers, firefighters, and low-income individuals. In addition, BCMT's student clinic offers more than 7,000 discounted massages every year. The Boulder College of Massage Therapy is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, a member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), and approved and regulated by the State of Colorado Department of Higher Education. Additional information on the college and its offerings can be viewed online at www.bcmt.org.
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