Monday, Mar. 08, 2010
Locals to be part of valley hospital event
Kids Day, for Children's Hospital Central Valley
By Samantha Salas / ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com
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ReprintKids Day has become a tradition in the Central California.
In its 23rd year, sponsors and participants are hoping to reach a goal of $400,000 during the annual Children's Hospital Central California fundraiser.
The event, sponsored by The Fresno Bee and ABC 30, will be held across the Valley on March 9. More than 5,000 volunteers from 20 communities will be selling the special Kids Day edition of The Fresno Bee for $1.
"The paper features compelling patient stories and photographs about the vital pediatric medical care Children's Hospital provides. The Kids Day edition not only raises awareness, but also much needed funds for our families who cannot afford health care," the Web site, www.HelpMakeMiracles.org, stated.
Volunteers in Los Baños will be selling papers from 5:30 a.m. until about noon. The newspapers will be available throughout town -- on Mercey Springs Road, Pacheco Boulevard, and Seventh Street, to name a few areas.
Since its beginning in 1988, the Kids Day campaign has raised more than $3.65 million for Children's Hospital Central California in Madera.
Los Baños Fire Department engineer Mark Frontella said he thinks hosting a site in Los Baños to help raise funds is a good idea, and something the department has been involved in since the early 1990s.
"We have so many citizens, people in the department, that use valley children's," Frontella said. "We're doing it for the all the people that have families that use the hospital."
Frontella said he and other firefighters have seen first hand what the hospital provides for children and their families, and infants born prematurely that fit in the palm of your hand for example.
"And the biggest thing about the hospital is that they don't ever turn anyone away," Frontella said. "They even have rooms for the parents to stay in while their child is there.
"It makes you feel good being a part of that," he said. "Knowing that the hospital is there for the kids. It's a godsend."
Frontella said Los Baños will continue to be a Fresno Bee site pick up for Kids Day each year.
And he's grateful for the community support to help the fundraiser on the Westside continue.
"The support from the our department, the Merced County Fire Department, the Los Baños FFA chapter, they all help us out," he said.
Working with Frontella is JP Soares, also a engineer at the fire department.
Enterprise reporter Samantha Salas can be reached by phone at (209)388-6562 or by e-mail at ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com