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| "This is a chance for credit unions to impact kids and families for years and decades to come," CCUF President/CEO John McGrail said of the effort to renovate the rooftop garden at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. The Levine project is stage one of a two-part campaign that will benefit children's hospitals in both North & South Carolina. |
The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation has committed to raise $600,000 for two Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in the Carolinas. The multi-year campaign includes an initial effort to benefit
Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, with a second stage to benefit a CMN hospital in South Carolina.
The fundraising push on behalf of Levine Children's Hospital culminates in September 2012. The plan is to renovate a rooftop garden at Levine. Carolinas Credit Union Foundation President/CEO John McGrail said the combined efforts will leave a lasting impact on the city. "Credit unions have a long history of being involved in community projects that benefit children," McGrail said in remarks to the Tarheel Chapter September 13, "and this is a chance for credit unions to impact kids and families for years and decades to come."
McGrail noted that the current rooftop garden at Levine is not very "kid-friendly," but that credit unions could help to transform it into a meaningful space. He then shared the story of the Northwest Chapter efforts to raise $50,000 for Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem several years ago. After the successful campaign to renovate the Brenner rooftop garden ended, a small child in McGrail's church developed leukemia and went to Brenner for treatment.
McGrail said he visited with the child and his family at the hospital and they raved about the garden. "You don't know what it's like for a kid to lose access to being outside," McGrail said the mother told him. He then said to the Tarheel Chapter, "I have never, ever been prouder to be associated with this industry than at that moment."
McGrail said credit unions could participate in the fundraising push in three different ways - by joining or adding funds to the Community Investment Fund, to make a corporate gift, and/or to engage the credit union staff. "I hope you'll get your staffs involved in this effort and that they'll get excited about it."
McGrail noted that once the Levine project is completed, fundraising would commence for a SC children's hospital. Details of that effort and plan will emerge over time, but it will be the same $300,000 goal as the initial Levine project.