3D Printing Club makes key prosthetics for free

BC%E2%80%99s+3D+printing+club+poses+and+holds+up+the+prosthetic+appendages%2C+excited+for+the+upcoming+year.+From+left+to+right%3A+Alexa+Keane+%28%E2%80%9817%29+Gage+Gosset+%28%E2%80%9817%29%2C+Mr.+John+Wilkinson%2C+Amy+Keane+%28%E2%80%9819%29.+The+club+is+an+opportunity+for+students+to+explore+biomedical+engineering.

Vivian Walbrun

BC’s 3D printing club poses and holds up the prosthetic appendages, excited for the upcoming year. From left to right: Alexa Keane (‘17) Gage Gosset (‘17), Mr. John Wilkinson, Amy Keane (‘19). The club is an opportunity for students to explore biomedical engineering.

Tired of being bored to tears at your volunteering events? Me too. There’s a very simple solution! Join Brookfield Central’s newest extracurricular: 3D Printing Club.

For all you seniors out there who need to beef up your college applications, the club’s official name is 3D Fabrication Society. How could Harvard say no to that?

The goal of the club is to help people who do not have hands by giving them a prosthetic for free. Prosthetic hands can cost over $11,000 when bought from a prosthetic manufacturer, and children outgrow their prosthetics. It’s hardly possible for people to pay thousands of dollars year after year. Since 3D printer filament is so cheap, our hands are made for less than $20 worth of materials.

The Society plans to create the first Wisconsin chapter of e-Nable, a global network of volunteers who are dedicated to the manufacture and distribution of 3D printed prosthetics. The organization will pair people in need of a hand to a chapter that is willing to build one for them. There are countless stories of hand recipients on enablingthefuture.org.

In case you need any further convincing: you don’t need prior knowledge of 3D printers, it counts for volunteer hours for Key Club and NHS, members are able to commit as much or as little time as they wish, and 3D Printing Club will be helping real people in an amazing way.

The kickoff meeting is in Mr. Wilkinson’s room (0064), on Tuesday, October 11th at 3:10, or during Lancer Block on Friday, October 14th. See you all there!