A large donation, a newly lit Christmas tree and a parade of emergency vehicles helped kick off the holidays Wednesday at WVU Medicine Children’s.
The hospital is celebrating the holiday season with gifts from Mountain Loggers Group Inc.
The organization contributed over $191,000, a giant Christmas tree, and toys to continue its tradition of giving to support children in West Virginia and beyond.
Representatives for Mountain Loggers joined WVU Medicine Children’s leadership for a check presentation and toy delivery Wednesday evening outside the hospital in Morgantown.
Festivities started with hot chocolate and carols, followed by the tree-lighting and then the parade.
About 30 local first-responder vehicles paraded around the outside of the hospital flashing their lights. Inside, young patients were given holiday pajamas and light wands so they could wave back at the first responders.
Winding down the evening was a visit from Santa Claus and then story time with Chief Administrative Officer Amy Bush reading a bedtime story on Facebook for patients and their families to enjoy.
The Mountain Loggers Group hosts the annual Log-A-Load for Kids Auction in Elkins to raise money for WVU Medicine Children’s. This year’s gift set a new record for the organization’s largest single contribution.
“We are always so appreciative of the continued commitment the Mountain Loggers family makes to our patients and their families,” Bush said. “It’s because of groups like them that we can continue to make sure children who need our care receive the best possible outcomes.
“They also help us give families hope. We know that this beautiful tree they’ve brought will bring joy to kids when they need it most and be a symbol of hope this holiday season to all who see it as they visit the hospital.”
The Mountain Loggers’ financial gift will support specialized beds for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, warming beds for the Birthing Center and additional TVs for the Emergency Department.
The donation will also provide plush versions of Musket — the Mountaineer mascot’s dog — and other toys to aid the Child Life program, which helps children deal with the challenges of surgery and hospitalization.
“We’re proud to be able to continue our support for WVU Medicine Children’s thanks to the generosity of the logging industry and the community members who support our event,” Danny Sines, president of the Mountain Loggers Group, said. “We all enjoy being a part of this cause because it makes a meaningful difference in so many lives.”
The holiday tree donation is a new tradition that began last year, following the opening of the nine-story, 150-bed WVU Medicine Children’s hospital.
Sines shared his appreciation for Eric and Rhonda Hoover of H&H Tree Farm in Addison, Pa., who donated this year’s tree.
The Mountain Loggers Group includes about 50 members spanning three states — West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Since the mid-1990s, its members have contributed more than $2.4 million to benefit WVU Medicine Children’s.
The Mountain Loggers’ gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the university and its affiliated entities.
Other sponsors Wednesday’s festivities were Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, Neighborhood Ford Store and the Law Office of Matthew Brock.
