Dispensary donates $10K to nonprofit geared toward accessibility for kids

By Olivia Tyler

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Des Moines-based nonprofit Can Play got a $10,000 boost on Monday from an unexpected source.

Can Play is an organization that provides athletic and recreational activities for those living with special needs, chronic health issues, and children from low socioeconomic households.

Bud & Mary’s, a dispensary with shops in Iowa, gave Can Play the money as a gift for the conclusion of their partnership.

The dispensary discovered Can Play and resonated with its mission of improving one’s quality of life through nontraditional methods.

Melissa Clarke-Wharff, the founder and executive director of Can Play, started the nonprofit 14 years ago after her son Jack had six strokes at just 8 years old. The organization adapts the pace of play by catering to each child’s needs.

Lucas Nelson, the group president of Bud & Mary’s, says the partnership was impactful for the company because they were able to provide medical marijuana to kids who otherwise may not have other options to treat their symptoms.

“There’s tons of Iowans across the state who didn’t know that a medical program exists, similar with Can Play, that didn’t know there were adaptive technologies out there to help those kids play and have different options available to them,” Nelson said.

Clarke-Wharff says Can Play families utilize medical marijuana in Iowa, and “it’s made significant impact on them, and made, provided better quality of life.”

While recreational cannabis use is illegal in Iowa, medical use is lawful.

Nelson says right now, spreading awareness about the positives of medical marijuana is the most important work his company is doing, because it does make a difference.

Can Play says the dispensary has helped the organization grow in other states like Missouri, where Bud & Mary’s is also based.

The founder says she was not expecting such a sizable donation but is already planning ways to put the check to use.

“The donation will help buy equipment and supply our kids with some adapted equipment items, but also just developing more programs and teaching our programs to other sites,” Clarke-Wharff says.

Despite the end of the partnership, the two organizations say they look forward to continuing to work together to make playing easier for all kids in Iowa.

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