Who are the Shriners?

The Jamil Shriners bring to you Potentate Stuart Smith and Lady Stephanie for the 14th-Annual Shrine Day Parade during the Sumter Iris Festival on Saturday.

Shriners come from all walks of life. We are plumbers and professionals, military personnel, college students, salesmen and CEOs. We are fathers, husbands, uncles and sons. We are also brothers.

There are more than 450,000 Shriners now. They gather in temples, or chapters.

There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children - 18 orthopedic hospitals, three burn hospitals and one hospital that provides orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care. These hospitals have cured or substantially helped more than 735,000 children since the first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922.

Children up to age 18 are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children if there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available.

Call the toll-free national patient referral line at (800) 237-5055 in the United States or download an application for treatment at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org. Acceptance is based solely on a child's medical needs.

When you become a Shriner, you become part of a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth and providing care for children and families in need through the 22 Shriner hospitals.

For more information, visit www.jamilshriners.com.