A donation from an Iowa State fraternity will help break new ground to aid disabled children in the Ames area.

Lambda Chi Alpha President Steve Madden said the fraternity donated $6,000 to the Convalescent Home for Children in Johnston. The fraternity has raised money for the home for about eight years, Madden said, however this year’s donation is significant.

Each fall, Lambda Chi sponsors Goreville, a haunted house. All proceeds are then donated to the charity.

But this year, the fraternity raised more money for its major philanthropy than it ever had in the past.

“This year we raised about $4,000,” Madden said. The previous high mark was $3,000, he said. The additional money donated this year came from money that had already been pledged to the convalescent home.

In addition to an increased donation, Madden said this year is significant because the money will help children in Ames.

The convalescent home is working to bring a Respite Center to Ames, said Lloyd Vander Kwaak, the center’s president.

Vander Kwaak said Lambda Chi has helped the convalescent home with its donations to the home, as well as to the Respite Center project.

The Respite Center will provide an opportunity to help disabled children and their parents in the Ames area.

For years the convalescent home served the Des Moines area, Vander Kwaak said, but is now branching to Ames after a group of Ames parents approached the home with the idea.

“I think there was really interest because it was developed in Ames by Ames people,” he said.

Vander Kwaak also said the center will offer daycare during the day and respite care for evenings, overnights and weekends.

The daycare will have space for approximately 60 children, with about half of them being disabled.

The respite area will have five bedrooms and a housing capacity for 10 children. Parents of disabled children can leave their children in the center’s care if the family needs to get away or travel for a weekend. Vander Kwaak said an example of respite use would be a family going on a camping trip leaving the child with special medical needs at the center.

“We’ve been working in the past two years to get services in Ames,” he added.

The Convalescent Home for Children rents respite space in Ames at Heartland Senior Services. Parents can leave their children in respite care at the facility on alternate weekends.

In addition to Lambda Chi’s donation to the center, the Variety Club of Iowa has pledged $300,000 to the cause. “We are trying to raise the balance of the money from people … and businesses from Story County.”

Vander Kwaak said he expects to raise the remaining $350,000 by this summer.

Construction is scheduled to begin next fall and the opening is planned for the spring or summer of 1998.

There is no site for the building as of yet, but Vander Kwaak said they are discussing with a local developer, who may be willing to donate the land.

The convalescent home has also discussed the Respite Center with Iowa State.

Vander Kwaak said the university plans to build additional daycare facilities in the future, the Respite Center may coordinate with the university.

Staffing for the center will include daycare providers, as well as medical personnel. Vander Kwaak said there “will be people we hire from the community.”

Opportunities will also be available for Iowa State students, he said. The convalescent home has hired ISU students already and plans opportunities for student internships at the Center.

“We’re really looking to the university to help us with some of the staffing issues,” he added.