This time of year is one of my favorites. Lights twinkling, the smell of cookies baking, the anticipation of kids waiting for Santa to arrive. Everyone seems just a little bit friendlier and caring as they bustle about humming holiday tunes while doing their shopping. But for some people, this can be one of the hardest times of the year. Trying to keep up with little money to provide all that their children are expecting. It can be very stressful. Every year, our family tries to help out those in need in one form or another. It's a great way to teach my children about the benefits of giving back to our community.
OshKosh B'Gosh partnered with Macaroni Kid to gift OshKosh surprises to families in need of holiday cheer this year. My boys and I went on a shopping spree to the Wilkes-Barre OshKosh store and shopped the sales and bargain deals to provide gifts for many children currently hospitalized at the Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville. We did this through an organization in Hazleton called Audrianna's Wish. Every year, Audrianna's Wish does a toy and blanket drive along with a holiday dinner to make sure that families have gifts that they may not be able to afford or have time to purchase while spending their days in the hospital. They also collect gift cards for older children and supplies for parents such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, socks, and more. Donation boxes are set up at various locations and taken to the hospital shortly before Christmas. We met up with Audrianna's mom, Angela, to deliver our donations.
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Audrianna's Wish
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Audrianna's Wish is on its 9th Annual Toy and Blanket Drive, but it actually started 11 years ago when Audrianna was asked what she wanted for Christmas. Audrianna said she didn't want anything for herself. All she wanted was for everyone to give her something unwrapped so she could give them out to her friends. She said Santa doesn't always come to the Janet Weis Children's Hospital. Audrianna then filled a small red wagon and took it to each room and handed out gifts until her wagon was empty so she could make sure all her friends got something from Santa. Once Christmas was over, Audrianna asked her mom if they could start a toy drive for her hospital and mom said okay.
The first 2 years they did it themselves and then when it got too big they enlisted help. There are two other families they met at the children's hospital that live in different areas and they each collect for the drive. Sandra Heim and her family collect in their area because their son Eddie Heim was fighting at the same time Audrianna was fighting Neuroblastoma. Andrea Nagel and her family also collect for the drive because their daughter Michaela, who has NF, was also being treated at the same time as Audrianna. They all became family. They do this toy drive to honor Audrianna, who lost her battle with cancer on February 15, 2013, who asked her mom on her deathbed to always keep her toy drive going so the kids at the hospital would always have Santa in their lives.
With the help of Tony Columbo and our local Fire Company and Harry, the owner Bonanza Restaurant in Hazleton, they also host a luncheon on the day they deliver the toys. They feed about 200-250 people (parents, children, doctors, and nurses) to make sure they get a meal that is not hospital food. Woody Wolfe comes with his band and performs and Santa comes for pictures. They have a fantastic day filled with love and happiness and Christmas spirit which in the end was all Audrianna ever wanted when she started handing out toys.
If you are interested in donating there are donation boxes at Peters Oil Company, Desiderios Funeral Home, The Women’s Boutique and Consignment Store, and P&D Pet Store in Mountain top. There are also boxes in Hazleton at Bonanza Restaurant and The Laurels Nursing Home. If you would like to make a monetary donation please send it via Paypal to email audriannabartol@yahoo.com. More information can be found on the Audrianna's Wish Facebook Page. They will be taking donations until December 16th and delivering to the hospital on December 19th this year. Again thank you all in advance for your help and in keeping Audrianna's dreams of no kid left behind for Christmas alive!
Use this 25% off coupon for more savings when shopping at OshKosh B'Gosh this month!
Looking for more ideas? Here are 6 Ways to Give Back During the Holidays.
* OshKosh provided compensation and a gift card to use toward our shopping spree.
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