The holidays will be a bit softer and cuddlier this season.
PetSmart Prince George has been running the PetSmart Charities Holiday Chance & Friends Program fundraiser since 2013, with children in UHNBC’s pediatric ward receiving stuffed animals around the holidays – a way to make their hospital experience a bit more joyful. However, this year – this effort has grown substantially.
“It’s been a way for PetSmart to give back to the communities that support our stores all year long,” said Sydney Gish, store manager of the Prince George location.
What started small has grown to become a nationwide holiday tradition with over 22-million toys being donated to fire and police departments, retirement homes, and locations like our very own UHNBC pediatric ward.
Whether they’re in the hospital long-term or simply to get a check-up or immunization, children visiting the hospital have received a toy around the holidays.
“Our associates and store leaders bring this program to life each year with incredible passion,” said Gish, making this program possible year after year.
This year, the program has expanded beyond Prince George, including just about every community within the Northern Health region.
PetSmart has seen the impact, having people come through their PG location and see it go full circle.
“They say their son or daughter got this stuffy when they were sick, when they were born,” said Gish. “So, to see that expand to other hospitals, to hospitals that don’t have that support already – it means a lot.”
The biggest reason for the program being able to grow to support more communities has been the overall support for the community. A couple of years ago, they only raised approximately 500 stuffies. Starting the fundraiser a bit earlier than usual, they’ve already surpassed a thousand and look to continue the effort leading up to the holidays.
“It’s been exciting. We’re so pleased to help the kids in the Northern smaller hospitals that don’t have a program like this that supports them,” said Taleah Cristea, assistant store manager at the Prince George location. “Having the chance to help these kids have this comfort, this little bit of support they can have, is really special. Now to see it travel even further, it’s just fantastic. I’m so excited the kids get this little toy - just something they can hug and maybe give them a little bit support and feel a little more comforted; something special that will hopefully give they good memories of being in a hospital.”
The collaboration doesn’t stop there. As this program has grown, the conversation of how these stuffed animals were going to find their new home became a bigger question mark. In the past, PetSmart had covered the cost of shipping – however, Sarah Christensen, Child Life Specialist at UHNBC had an idea that would make things far more efficient – making use of NH Connections.
The NH Connections medical bus service (NHC) is a health transportation service established in 2006 to support people to access medical and health services not available in or near their home communities or location.
“I wrote the email, and I think within 10 minutes I had an ‘absolutely, yes – let’s work this out’,” said Christensen. “I think it speaks to the idea that ‘it takes a village’ to help and support kids. It’s phenomenal to be a part of an initiative that can bring smiles and happiness to sick kids.”
Nicolas Fricke, operations manager for Pacific Western Charters oversees the Northern Health Connections bus lines and said getting involved was a happy accident.
“It’s such an amazing program that’s going on to help these young ones, that for us to jump onboard - with the routes we have across Northern BC – it was easy for us to facilitate because we go to the hospitals and the different care facilities to help and assist with dropping patients off, so putting teddy bears onboard and give them a ride to where they need to go – it was really easy to get involved with that,” said Fricke.
This year alone, PetSmart has raised over 1,200 teddy bears to be delivered to sick children across the North.
“If the little bit that it takes for us to take a teddy bear from point A to point B is what makes the difference in somebody’s winter season, to us that’s a no brainer,” said Fricke. “We’re in, we’re going to help any chance we can.”
Donations will be accepted at the Prince George PetSmart while supplies last!
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