Suffolk shows great support for CHKD
Published 9:39 pm Thursday, June 21, 2012
Our little two-person, one-canine family is yet to experience the presumably life-changing experience of bringing a new (human) addition home from the hospital.
But we expect it will happen sometime in the not-too-distant future. (No, the process hasn’t started yet — we’re waiting for that ever-elusive “right time.”)
A thought that must play on the minds of all prospective parents is, what if something goes wrong?
The chances of that happening are not high enough to justify any substantial amount of worry, but as some wise person must have once said, stress is the great motivator.
When my wife goes into a delivery room to give birth for the first time, I would hope for it to be equipped with every baby-delivery gizmo mankind has ever conceived.
And I would hope the same for any children’s hospital our offspring would have need to visit.
The North Main Street Walmart deserves a special mention for this week being named tops in the nation after raising $83,580.23 for its local children’s hospital.
After a seven-week campaign involving Walmart stores across the country, all furiously raising cash for their respective children’s hospitals, the North Main Street store, managed by Amanda Powell, came out on top.
What’s more, because it raised the highest amount, the Suffolk store will have another $10,000 added to the total, bringing it oh-so-close to its original $100,000 goal.
It’s a great achievement, especially when you take into account that during last year’s campaign, the Suffolk store raised the second-largest amount companywide and the largest amount for CHKD.
But money doesn’t grow on trees, and the folks at the North Main Street Walmart didn’t just wander out into the woods and start plucking $100 bills.
Thanks and gratitude are also due to all of those who donated to the store’s campaign.
I’m don’t know whether the number of charitable solicitations the average American receives in a given year has ever been researched and reported, but with the plethora of causes out there, it must be a large number.
Most of them are worthy causes, but it seems the people of Suffolk must attach particular importance to the well being of their children.
CHKD uses the money to update its radiology department; last year it reportedly purchased an additional MRI machine.
No one would wish for any child to have to benefit from such equipment, but it’s nice to know it’s there, paid for in part by Suffolk’s community spirit.