A newly opened Michigan City PetSmart store recently donated a load of Lucky the cat and Chance the dog stuffed toys for the holiday season to make the stays of pediatrics patients at Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City and its affiliates happier and more comfortable.
Hospital employees, shown with the toys, are, from left: Taylor Gambrel, Sister Cheryl Dazey, Sarah Jones, Dawn Stroup, Michelle Turner, Dr. James Callaghan, hospital president; Krystl Bietry, Kim Hunt, Waleed Taha, Joan Keppen, Trish Weber, hospital vice president of operations and chief nursing officer; Maria Mendez, Heather Lutz and Megan Arens. Dazey, vice president of hospital mission integration services, who helped coordinate the donation effort, thanked PetSmart. "We extend a warm Christmas thank you to PetSmart and their customers for their bigheartedness in making it possible for many St. Anthony children to receive a stuffed animal pet. The donation will go to children who pass through the doors of our surgery centers at both the hospital and the Woodland Surgery Center, the emergency rooms at the hospital and in Chesterton, as well as the children of families who will receive a Christmas basket filled with groceries and gifts from our employees. Thank you for sharing our joy of giving to the children."
PetSmart annually donates thousands of the toys nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico, to nonprofit organizations.