Christmas can be a stressful time, especially for parents whose children are hospitalized.
To help alleviate some of the stress, Hibbett and Puma made a special donation recently of cash, apparel and toys to Children’s of Alabama.
“We are honored to join forces with Puma for the fifth year in a row by supporting the incredible mission of Children’s of Alabama,” said Hibbett Marketing Vice President Sarah Sharp-Wangaard. “The unwavering dedication of their staff in providing compassionate care to families in need, inspires us deeply.
“Through our donation this year, we hope to help ensure that the Children’s Social Services Team has an abundance of resources to continue making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and their families throughout the year.”
Ln a ceremony recently, team members from Birmingham-based Hibbett and Puma visited Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the country, and presented a donation of $20,000 and more than 1,300 items.
“We are incredibly grateful to the teams at Hibbett and Puma for their efforts to ensure that patients and their families have essentials to make their stay at the hospital the most comfortable it can be,” said Crawford Daniel, Community Development Coordinator at Children’s of Alabama. “This collaboration and support enables the care team at Children’s to provide family-centered care to ease patient and caregiver stress.”
Along with the financial donation, Hibbett, a footwear and athletic-inspired fashion retailer, and Puma presented Children’s Social Services with Puma-branded men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, shirts and shorts valued at $5,000 and 1,000 fidget toys valued at $3,500. The contributions support essential Children’s of Alabama programs like the Care Closet, Sugar Plum Shop and Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services (CHIPS Center).
The Care Closet helps alleviate some of the stress for more than 400 families in crisis each year. Families often arrive at the hospital emergency room with little time to prepare. The Care Closet provides complimentary essentials they might need like toiletries, apparel, footwear and toys to help entertain children and siblings during an emergency, so they can focus on their child’s care.
During the holiday season, Children’s of Alabama hosts the Sugar Plum Shop to bring some holiday cheer, providing an average of 260 patient families with gifts to help ease the burden of a child being hospitalized during the holiday season. Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services (CHIPS Center) promotes hope and healing for youth affected by child abuse and neglect. The specialty-trained staff at the CHIPS Center provide thousands of counseling sessions for children and families in need each year.
