Kansas City, Missouri — On Friday, June 26, students and faculty in Rockhurst University’s occupational and physical therapy and other health sciences programs will modify toys for area children with differing abilities.

The effort is in conjunction with Switched, a national nonprofit organization that provides plans, materials and support to adapt off-the-shelf electronic toys for children with a wider range of abilities through the addition of switches and buttons that allow them to be activated in different ways.

It will be the ninth build for the Rockhurst University chapter of Switched Adapted Toys, which was established at the University in 2019. The chapter has hosted one build each year and added a second in 2025, each time featuring student, faculty and staff volunteers from the University’s health sciences programs.

For this build, they will once again be working in partnership with the Odin George Foundation, an organization founded by the family of its namesake to provide specialized medical equipment to children with complex medical needs. The parents of Odin George, Mark and Courtney Buser, will be part of the build and will distribute the toys on July 7 — Odin’s birthday — through local nonprofits such as Ability KC and Children’s Mercy, area school districts, and directly to families.

Coverage Opportunities:

10 a.m.-1 p.m., Friday, June 26: Students and faculty from Rockhurst University will use tools to rewire electronic toys, fitting them with buttons, switches and other features for children with physical or sensory limitations. The two workshops (at 10 a.m. and noon) will take place in Arrupe Hall room 114 on the Rockhurst University campus.