U.H.S. helps Salvation Army toy drive…
You may not have heard the bells ringing at key points around the city but this time of year the Salvation Army is looking for more than just your spare change. And today a controversial private medical facility came through in a big way. News Five’s Janelle Chanona has more.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This morning Universal Health Services officially donated three hundred toys, valued at a thousand dollars to the Salvation Army’s Christmas campaign. According to Marketing Manager Rhonda Lecky, the gifts were purchased by the doctors, nurses and staff working at U.H.S.
Rhonda Lecky, Marketing Manager, U.H.S
“We wanted to assist the children and to assist the Salvation Army because they said they were short of toys and we know that at Christmas the children look forward to these toys to make them happy and we wanted to spread a little joy and give back something to the community and to thank our customers for their support throughout this difficult year.”
Janelle Chanona
“What do you say to the cynic who is saying oh, U.H.S. is just doing this to try to win us over a little bit before Christmas given your difficult year?”
Rhonda Lecky
“What I’d like to say is that Universal Health Services is made up of qualified human beings, we have feelings and we are here and we want to spread some joy. At this time of Christmas we want people to be happy and we want people to be healthy. We want them to know that we are still open, twenty-four hours, waiting to serve them.”
Although they have yet to reach their goal, this year the Salvation Army toy drive’s target is two thousand five hundred toys. The U.H.S. donation will be added to collections by Bravo Motors and other donors and then distributed to needy children at various events organized by the Salvation Army.
Major Errol Robateau, Regional Commander, Salvation Army
“Tomorrow is the one at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall and on Thursday we’ll be at the Salvation Army School on Cemetery Road. After that, we will be going to the rural areas. We want this year, if we can reach before Christmas, so we ask the folks, please bring in toys early so we can do that. Also we will be preparing food hampers for the elderly and that suppose to be given out on the eighteenth and nineteenth of December.”
If you would like to donate food or toys to the Salvation Army, please contact Major Robateau at number forty-one Regent Street or call 227-3365.
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
