February 26, 2020

Kids in hospital surprised with messages from around the world

February 14 was made a little sweeter for the young patients at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, thanks to Valentine’s Day cards from people across Canada, as well as from around the world.

The Share the Love Valentine’s Day campaign in partnership with Saskatchewan Blue Cross, kicked off on February 3, encouraging people to send personalized cards to kids in hospital via pattisonchildrens.ca.

For each Valentine’s Day card sent in through the website, Saskatchewan Blue Cross donated $10 to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, up to $10,000. The cards were then printed and hand-delivered to dozens of kids in hospital on Valentine’s Day.

Each child received a bundle of cards, while enjoying a Valentine’s Day party, complete with cookie decorating and other fun activities in the Child Life Zone. For those patients who were unable to leave their hospital rooms for the party, cards were personally delivered to their individual rooms.

In total, 3,517 cards were sent from 2,702 people from places across Canada, as well as far as North Dakota, New York and even Australia. The Valentine’s Day cards incorporated fun catch-phrases related to Saskatchewan Blue Cross’ coverage, such as ‘You’re spec-tacular’ and ‘The tooth is… you’re the best.’

The cards greatly surpassed the Share the Love Valentine’s Day campaign goal, with a maximum donation of $10,000 from Saskatchewan Blue Cross.

“Saskatchewan Blue Cross has a heartfelt commitment to paying it forward, and we were so excited to be a part of the Share the Love campaign. Having the opportunity to engage all 231 of our staff in an impactful way made this such a rewarding opportunity. The reach of the campaign was overwhelming, and our staff thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to participate and hand write all the wonderful messages. Our visit to the hospital to deliver the cards to the children was a day that our staff will not forget,” said Shelley Vandenberg, President and CEO of Saskatchewan Blue Cross.  “We are proud to be an advocate for health and wellness in our community and understand the importance of doing our part to advance innovation in Saskatchewan.”

Funds raised through the Share the Love campaign will support critically needed equipment, world-class research, and high impact programming for our province’s babies, moms-to-be, children and families.

“The impact of the Share the Love campaign is really two-fold, because not only did your card bring joy to kids in hospital, but that same card activated a donation to help support those very children,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Thank you to Saskatchewan Blue Cross for partnering with us on this incredible initiative and for helping make all the difference in the lives of Saskatchewan kids and families.”

If you would like to support urgently needed maternal and pediatric health care, click here to make a donation.

More from the Newsroom

BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR, JOIN THE SUNSHINE MAKER CLUB

Sunshine Maker Club Logo

Sunshine Maker Club is a meaningful way to donate via pre-authorized payments of $20 or more on the 15th of every month. It’s an easy way to spread your generosity throughout the year!

Sunshine Maker Club Logo