The Joey Foundation and Bowling Green K-Kids have spent much of December engaged in service projects directed toward helping children who are ill or who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
However, the K-Kids and Joey Foundation received the help of many other individuals and groups, including Alan Finchly of Nassau County Craft Fairs who invited the K-Kids to a recent fair to collect toy donations and generously donates a table for the Joey Foundation to fundraise at all of his events, and Jimmy Hudak whose visit to the party made the event extra special for the children.
The project began on Saturday, Dec. 1. K-Kids President Kira Gruber and toy drive chair Danielle Hallett played elves for Santa at the Roslyn High School Craft Fair. The elves invited children to pose for a photo with Santa and distributed candy canes and holiday pencils. Photos were free but the elves accepted donations toward the toy drive for pediatric nephrology patients at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center.
Members of ASG, a national organization of women getting together for a common cause, sewing items for organizations in need, brought a shopping bag full of toys for the children at Cohen’s. Some of the items they have done are blankets for Ronald McDonald House and gloves and scarves for nursing homes, they will be doing another joint venture with the Joey Foundation in February where they are making small pillows for the kids at Cohen’s Children Hospital. Ann Torcivia’s late son, Joey, was a patient at Cohen’s. He received one of these little pillows; he called it his IV pillow to put under his arm when he had an IV.
On the day of the Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center Holiday Party, the Bowling Green K-Kids and Clarke Builders Clubbers donned elf and reindeer costumes to assist patients in selecting their gift and visiting with Santa for a photo. The Builders Club had run their own toy drive to assist the Joey Foundation and the K-Kids.
The Builders Club also received a donation from the Builders Club, Key Club, Aktion Club and Kiwanis Club of Ogdensburg. These clubs wanted to help a club that had a project negatively impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The storm had cut short the toy drive and reduced the number of donations.
The generosity of the Ogdensburg Builders Club gave the Bowling Green K-Kids and the WT Clarke Builders Club the funds needed to buy the toys needed to give every patient a gift.
