Cintas and WVU Athletics visited residents at Sundale Rehabilitation & Long Term Care to spread the holiday spirit on Friday.
“Oh I love this,” exclaimed 92-year-old Pat John when she pulled a box of chocolates from a gift bag.
Cintas, a uniform company, brought gifts requested by residents and donated five new TVs to the facility.
Amanda Wolfe, human resource manager for Cintas, saw a story about Presents for Patients, a non-profit that delivers gifts to patients in long-term care facilities and Cintas immediately adopted six patients.
Donna Tennant, the admission and marketing director for Sundale, is also the director of West Virginia Presents for Patients, which she brought to West Virginia about 25 years ago.
“It’s just wonderful that people are thinking about us and our residents here and making sure it’s a great holiday for them,” Tennant said.
Wolfe said when the company went to adopt more residents, they were told everyone was adopted but there was a list of requested items, so Cintas started collecting those. The company also learned not every room had a TV so money was raised and five new 32-inch TVs were donated.
WVU Athletics, including members of the volleyball, swimming & diving, rowing and baseball teams handed out handmade holiday cards to the residents.
Nick Garner, student athlete enhancement graduate assistant, said several student athletes come play bingo on Sundays with the residents and already have pretty good relationships established.
Well over 100 cards have been made as part of relaxation week which leads into finals week next week, Garner said. The athletes also delivered cards to the children’s hospital earlier in the week.
