BMH Caring Angel program gives back
At Butler Memorial Hospital, the season of giving is celebrated by raising funds to help patients with extra support and services.
BMH’s Caring Angel program, organized by the BMH Foundation, kicked off Thursday, Dec. 4, with over 60 baskets for employees and community members to buy raffle tickets for. A half hour after it started, dozens of nurses, employees, patients’ family members and others were looking at gift baskets they could try and win for money that will go back to the hospital.
A 50/50 is also expected to raised thousands of dollars.
Proceeds raised will be split between the emergency room, where funds will go toward medical care for children who don’t have insurance or resources to pay; and BMH family services, such as group and individual therapy, parent/child interactive therapy, play therapy and after school and summer programs.
Kris Bowser, foundation manager at Independence Health, said the foundation team has worked to get baskets for the fundraiser since early fall. Baskets have been donated by employees, physicians, community members and businesses.
“It’s really worth it. It’s such an amazing program,” Bowser said. “To hear from the employees and everyone that comes in, they get excited about it, with the hope that they’ll win a basket or a 50/50. But it’s a really good community event. It brings in the community and employees. It’s good to see.”
Bowser said the 50/50 raffle typically raises upward of $50,000, while the baskets raise around $70,000 to $80,000.
The fundraiser has been held for the past 33 years. Held in the Nixon Sarver classroom just inside the hospital’s tower entrance, the baskets and 50/50 raffles will last through Thursday, Dec. 11.
“It raises a lot money, which helps the hospital because money’s tight everywhere. But I think it does a lot for our community and the community within the building,” said Marie Yingling, a former nurse volunteering at the fundraiser. “The staff, I worked here with them, some of them raise money all year for what they’re going to do with the Christmas baskets. It’s giving back in a way that’s really cool.”
Baskets include packages of gift cards, brand new TV’s, Pittsburgh sports gear, a Blackstone pizza oven, tickets to shows in Pittsburgh and various technology, cooking and houseware equipment.
“Any place you work, if the morale’s good, people do a better job. This is a morale builder, not just for us, but the people we interact with,” Yingling said.
Staff helping run the fundraiser said it’s important for the hospital to be positively involved in the community.
“This is obviously the season of giving and it’s so important to the community. We see the hospital as a really trusted partner in the community,” Anthony Cancro, chief development officer at Independence Health, said. “You think about nonprofits and groups in the community. Who’s open 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day? We are.”
