Volunteers from Giant take part in activity to create courage capes for pediatric patients
DANVILLE, Pa. – Alison Cardone of Williamsport called herself a “T-shirt cutter” for the day as she volunteered for a project for Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger. The assistant store manager for the Williamsport Giant Food Store worked most of the day using scissors to shape donated t-shirts into capes that will be given to children who are brought to the pediatric emergency department at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.
More than 30 volunteers from Giant Food Stores from across the region worked to cut, shape and design 400 capes from T-shirts that were donated by the Musser family from Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Triple Play Sports in Danville donated decals to be used on the capes. The capes were decorated with fun designs and words of encouragement like Hope, Brave, Courage and Strength.
“It feels good to do something for somebody who can’t do it for themselves,” Cardone said. “It is great to do this for the kids and to see the smiles on their faces.”
The capes will be used throughout the year in the pediatric emergency department and are a welcome commodity for hospital caregivers.
“The capes are wonderful and a simple way to help scared children feel a little braver when they are in the emergency department,” said Sarah Alander, MD, director of pediatric emergency medicine. “The idea that they come from volunteers in the community, helps connect us all in the important care of the children entrusted to us.”
Giant has been a partner of Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger since 1997 and has raised more than $6.7 million for Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. The courage cape activity ties in well with Giant’s mission to build healthy communities by supporting family health and nutrition.
About Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger
Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger helps make miracles happen every day at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, Geisinger Wyoming Valley, and more than 40 medical groups and pediatric specialty outreach clinics. A nonprofit organization, it has raised more than $64 million for pediatric services, equipment and programs throughout Geisinger Health System since 1984. For more information on Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger, call 1-800-322-5437 or (570) 271-6188, or visit www.geisinger.org/cmn.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
