A matching gift from an anonymous donor and the generosity of a Perkasie kindergartner spurred donations nearing $50,000 to aid healthcare providers at Grand View Health. The money was raised over a two-week time period and will be used to offset expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This all began with a gift of $10,000 from a local family who saw the reports of the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the media and wanted to make a difference,” says David Alderfer, Grand View Health Foundation Director of Development. “They said they would match donations up to $10,000 and our generous community quickly responded.”
Six-year-old Sophia Myers answered the call, donating the entire contents of her small ceramic bank, shaped like a unicorn, along with a hand-decorated card, to Grand View Health. Her gift, which she says she’s been saving “since she was maybe four,” totaled $14.77 and represented the quarters she earned watching her sister and “sometimes cleaning up her playroom.” Her motivation? “People are sick,” and in her video interview she added, “I think the nurses are working very hard.”
Jane Ferry, MD, accepted the gift on behalf of the medical team. “In these difficult times, we are so grateful for the kindness and encouragement we continue to receive from the community. We want people to know the gifts of food, PPE, homemade masks and notes of gratitude provide daily inspiration for our team and mean so much to all of us.”
Donations to the Grand View Health COVID-19 initiative continue to be accepted through the Grand View Health website, https://www.gvh.org/covid-19-donations/.