"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Three Rivers Health Center Featured on Holiday Tour

***"Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Health Center"***

The Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Health Center is a featured stop on this year’s Kelly B. Todd Center Parade of Homes Christmas Tour. The Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Health Center is a featured stop on this year’s Kelly B. Todd Center Parade of Homes Christmas Tour.

The Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Health Center will be a featured stop on the 2009 Kelly B. Todd Cerebral Palsy and Neuro-muscular Center Holiday Parade of Homes Tour, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. each day.

Each floor of the three-story health center is decorated with the lights and sounds of the Christmas season, with the various departments within the center adding their own unique flair to the decorations, such as a Christmas tree decorated with eye glasses in the Optometry area.

“This is a wonderful way for the health center to join in with the community and benefit the Kelly B. Todd Center,” said Rhonda Cochran, Administrator for the Three Rivers Health Center. “Our staff has decorated each floor of the center, and we invite all community members to come and participate in the tour.”

The 103,000 square-foot Cherokee Nation Three Rivers Health Center was dedicated in February, 2008, and is the largest of the tribe’s nine health centers. The overall design is a tribute to the rich culture and history of the Cherokee Nation. The building faces east, which is a symbol of new beginnings, renewal, strength and health in Cherokee culture. In addition, the four exterior columns were designed to resemble the columns of the Cherokee National Female Seminary which was a historic school operated by the Cherokee Nation near Tahlequah. Inside, the Cherokee syllabary is used on signage to promote the continued importance of the Cherokee language. Ancient southeast designs and the seven-pointed star, which symbolizes the seven clans of the Cherokee, appear throughout the interior and the exterior of the building. The Three Rivers Health Center is named for its historic geographic location, a central trading site among tribes in this area.

The Kelly B. Todd Cerebral Palsy Center is a non-profit organization that recognizes the need for children with motor deficits or developmental delays to be provided the best opportunities for moving and interacting with their families, friends, community and environment. The group’ mission is to provide the opportunity and enable children to achieve skills to better access the world around them with the greatest amount of independence.

Tickets for the day home tour are $10 each and all proceeds go to benefit the center. For more information, call the Kelly B. Todd Center, phone: 918-683-4621.