To celebrate the recent success of the Weight Loss Challenge between DeKalb and Cannon Counties, DeKalb Community Hospital and Stones River Hospital decided to donate 943 pounds of food for the Hungry Kids Backpack Program. The 943 pounds was in honor of the total weight lost by all participants of the Challenge. The food was divided and distributed to backpack programs across both counties and has been received with grateful appreciation.
When asked how this idea came about, Marketing Director Shan Burklow replied, “Our CEO (Sue Conley) and myself were on a local radio program (Chamber Chat) where one of the guests were talking about the backpack program and how so many kids go home to no dinner on the table or even go hungry throughout the entire weekend. As we listened, Sue turned to me and whispered, ‘We’re going to help with this!’ …later that afternoon, we decided to ask our hospital employees to help us reach our goal of nearly a thousand pounds of food. Hundreds of pounds were donated just over two weeks later.”
The hospital would like to personally thank the artists from the Off the Beaten Path Tour for being the inspiration behind this great effort, “We are grateful to Tim Hintz and the great artists that steered us in the right direction with their original support of the program. If these good people had not stepped up to raise money for these kids, Shan and I would have never known there was such a monumental need right here where we work and live.”
“We are so very grateful to the employees of DeKalb Community Hospital for their generosity and care for the Backpack Program,” said Backpack Program Assistant Director Cindy Childers, “I started to cry when I saw all of the food. This means so much to these kids (and to us) as we try to keep over 200 backpacks filled weekly. If anyone is interested in helping us throughout the school year, please call the Board of Education and let us know.”
For more information on how you, your church, or your business can participate in the Hungry Kids Backpack Program, contact Cindy Childers (615) 215-2161
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Pictured: Tim Hintz along with local artists from the Off the Beaten Path Tour accept over two hundred pounds of food from Director Shan Burklow, CEO Sue Conley and CNO Kim Frazier of DeKalb Community Hospital and Stones River Hospital. Not pictured: Linda Gagne of DeKalb Community Hospital.
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