Winter 2008 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORKMiracle Tree Project PutsWal-Mart and Sam’s Clubover the $1 Million MarkThis light icon is an exampleof the Miracle Tree icons soldby Sam’s Club #8266 in memoryof Brandon Camden. Asassociates sold the lights, theydecorated their tree with theicons. The club raised morethan $1,000, bringing its2007 total to more than$25,000.Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club associatesall over Arkansas and parts ofTexas and Louisiana raised money forArkansas Children’s Hospital with theMiracle Tree project from December1-24.Associates sold paper tree lighticons for $1 or more to customers andco-workers Each store’s goal was tosell a paper light for every real light ontheir in-store Miracle Tree. When allthe paper lights were sold for each tree,the tree was lit.“The Miracle Tree project was atremendous success for Wal-Mart andSam’s Club year-end Children’s MiracleNetwork fundraising efforts,” saysJennifer Selig, the Children’s MiracleNetwork director at the ACHFoundation. “Because of the associates’dedication and the support of the customers,Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club raisedmore than $1,061,000 for ArkansasChildren’s Hospital in 2007.”The family of Brandon Camden poses in front of theMiracle Tree at Sam’s Club #8266 in North LittleRock. Brandon passed away in November after a longbattle with cancer. Brandon’s step-mother is an associateat the Sam’s Club in North Little Rock, and all of thatclub’s December Children’s Miracle Network fundraisingefforts were in memory of Brandon.Log A Load for Kids Event is Biggest EverThe Central Arkansas Log A Load chapter held its annual event inlate October. The event, which raised $140,000, was the largest Log ALoad event in Arkansas. The highlight was the auction of 10 loads oflogs, which brought in more than $40,000.“We are very fortunate that we have the support of the landownerswho donate their timber to help the kids,” says Bobby Taylor, a longstandingmember of the Central Arkansas chapter. “Their supportplays a big part in our continued success in fundraising for ACH.”Log A Load is a national giving program that brings together loggersand other people involved in forestry products businesses to raisefunds for local children’s hospitals associated with Children’s MiracleNetwork.In 2007, Log A Load completed their funding of a $1 million pledgeto support the imaging/MRI program at ACH.Loads of logs, the signature auction item at Log ALoad for Kids events, are lined up for inspection bybidders outside the Sheridan Community Center.20