Posts Tagged ‘HopeKids’

Sharing Care at the 6th Annual HopeDay Festival

Friday, September 14th, 2012

Hope is a powerful medicine

Having a chronic illness not only impacts the child with the condition but also the entire family. HopeKids understands this challenge and strives to support these families with the message that hope can be the most powerful medicine of all. HopeKids events provides kids and parents with the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations. That invaluable connection helps families know they’re not alone.

HopeKids provides ongoing events & activities and a powerful, unique support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions free of charge for the whole family. With events such as go-cart racing, football clinics with the University of Minnesota Gopher football team, private movie screenings, twins games and not to mention their annual HopeDay festival. When you’re at a HopeKids event you can be sure there will be no shortage of fun or hope for these children, their siblings and parents.

3rd Year at the Festival- still going strong

Sharing Care volunteers were lucky enough to participate for the 3rd year  in a row in the 6th Annual HopeDay Festival, hosted by HopeKids! MN on September 9th. We had a blast with all the kids and their families, painting faces and fishing for prizes at the PHS go fish wall and attempting to make life size bubbles. Although the bubbles weren’t much of a success the kids still had fun playing in the sudsy pool anyway.

The festival marks the end of the HopeKids season and is the organization’s largest event of the year. This year’s festival attendance topped out at around 1,000 HopeKids families, approximately 400 student athletes and an additional 50 volunteers. The festival had fun events such as BMX bike show, blow up jumpers, dunk tank, pony rides, basketball, putt-putt golf and so much more. Thank you to HopeKids for letting Sharing Care be a part of the festivities. Check out our amateur face painting skills and all the fun we had at the PHS booth in the slideshow below.

Were any of you lucky readers at the event? If so, what was your favorite part?

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What has Sharing Care been up to lately?

Friday, September 30th, 2011

In 2008, PHS created Sharing Care to extend our vision to include those in need in our local community. We designed the program to align our charitable giving with our mission to take care of the child and to provide PHS employees with the opportunity to donate time to programs and events in the community that are directly associated with serving medically-fragile and underprivileged children.

What’s for dinner? Breakfast! Cooking for kids at Ronald McDonald House

PHS Sharing Care volunteers joined the Cook for Kids program at Ronald McDonald House (RMDH) in Minneapolis on August 17. Many PHS families call RMDH home while their children are in the hospital, so we’re proud to be part of this event. Volunteers John, Miguel, Todd, Janelle, Dana, and Beth cooked ‘Breakfast for Dinner’ for families staying at RMDH. See even more photos from event on the PHS facebook page here.

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Sharing Care volunteers at Cook for Kids- Ronald McDonald House

Happy kids are hopeful kids

Sharing Care volunteers participated in the 5th Annual HopeDay Festival, hosted by HopeKids! MN on September 11. We had a blast with all the kids and their families painting faces and playing bean bag toss. This festival marks the end of this HopeKids season and is the organization’s largest event of the year.This year’s festival attendance topped out at around 1,000 HopeKids families, approximately 400 student athletes and an additional 50 volunteers. The festival had fun events such as BMX bike show, blow up jumpers, dunk tank, pony rides, basketball, putt-putt golf and so much more. Thank you to HopeKids for letting Sharing Care be a part of the festivities. See below for a video of the event.

PHS help’s restore the hope at Faith’s Lodge

After a devastating summer storm destroyed most of the 80 acre the grounds of Faith’s Lodge near Danbury, Wisconsin, they are picking up the pieces and moving forward.  Faith’s Lodge provides a very needed respite and recovery for many PHS families living with a chronically ill child, or those dealing with the loss of a child, so PHS and many other organizations and families helped “Restore the Hope” with a tree-planting open house on September 17. Sharing Care purchased trees and six volunteers took the day to head over to Faith’s Lodge to get them in the ground. The day also included a pancake breakfast and opening ceremonies with founders Mark and Susan Lacek. We’re eager to see the trees thrive at Faith’s Lodge. See even more photos from event on the PHS facebook page here.

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Sharing Care volunteers with Susan Lacek, founder of Faith's Lodge, and her daughters, at the tree planting open house

We are always looking to support new fabulous organization that support medically-fragile children, so if you have any ideas, simply submit a comment here. We’d love to hear from you!

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Hope is a powerful medicine

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Philanthropy has been part of the PHS culture since we opened our doors for business in 1990. Since formalizing our giving and volunteering by introducing the Sharing Care program, PHS has formed several valuable partnerships that serve as fantastic resources to our patients and their families.

PHS staff participating and volunteering at HopeKids Annual Suburban Adventure Fundraiser Walk/Run. For more information on the fundraiser and how you can help out visit their website @ www.hopekids.org

Having a chronic illness not only impacts the child with the condition but also the entire family. HopeKids understands this challenge and strives to support these families with the message that hope can be the most powerful medicine of all. HopeKids events provides kids and parents with the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations. That invaluable connection helps families feel as though they’re not alone.

HopeKids provides ongoing events & activities and a powerful, unique support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions free of charge for the whole family. With events such as go-cart racing, football clinics with the University of Minnesota Gopher football team, private movie screenings, twins games and not to mention their annual HopeDay festival that, this year, included a petting zoo, BMX biker shows, super heroes, basketball and kickball games, a dunk-tank and inflatable bouncers, there is no shortage of fun or hope for these children, their siblings and parents.

To learn more about the amazing mission of HopeKids watch this video: HopeKids. Restoring Hope. Transforming Lives.

Each spring PHS employees visit Faith’s Lodge to help clean up the grounds around the lodge and spring clean to prepare for new guests

Living with and caring for a medically-fragile child can be exhausting and dealing with the loss of a child is a heartbreaking experience that takes time, strength, support and hope to continue moving forward; for those times when you’re feeling your weakest, there is Faith’s Lodge. Faith’s Lodge provides a retreat where parents and families facing the serious illness or death of a child can retreat to reflect on the past, renew strength for the present, and build hope for the future.

Faith’s Lodge offers families a place to reflect and regroup and hopefully leave with more hope and energy than when they arrived.  While at Faith’s Lodge families have the opportunity to spend time and connect with other parents who are in a similar situation, giving you a feeling of support and understanding.

Visit their website to learn more about the amenities and the process for applying to stay at Faith’s Lodge. With a suggested donation of only $25.00 per night, Faith’s Lodge is truly a resource to families when they are in need of a break, a getaway, support from someone who understands their situation or just some time to renew their spirit.

Coming up on September 25th is Hope Rocks, an annual event benefiting Faith’s Lodge. PHS is proud to support Faith’s Lodge as a sponsor for the second year. If you are interested in sponsoring or purchasing tickets to the event please visit the Hope Rocks website.

To learn more about how Faith’s Lodge impacts the lives of those who stay watch this video: Faith’s Lodge. A place where hope grows (warning, it’s a tear-jerker)

Have either of these organizations touched your lives? We’d love to hear your story or see photos from events you’ve attended.

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