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 among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
