TCH Newsroom
Contact: Rodney Foushee
Public Relations & Marketing Manager
(828) 883-5435
Student’s Toy Drive Benefits Hospital
BREVARD, N.C., Dec. 6, 2007—A Brevard High School senior’s desire to be a pediatrician resulted in more than $1,200 in toys, games and books donated to Transylvania Community Hospital pediatric patients on Nov. 29.
Allison Hawkins devoted her BHS Senior Project to the toy drive, which was designed to help younger TCH patients deal with the anxiety of time in a hospital.
“I want to become a pediatrician,” Hawkins said, “and I know time in a hospital can be a scary thing for young kids. So when we were deciding on topics for our Senior Projects this fall, I thought a toy drive would be fun and a useful project.”
Hawkins contacted TCH President and CEO Bob Bednarek with the idea, and Bednarek referred her to hospital Chief Operating Officer Becky Carter. Carter served as Hawkins’ mentor during the process.
“Allison serves as a wonderful example of a young person doing something that really makes a difference in her community,” Carter said. “These donated items will help comfort both young patients and their families while they are in our hospital.”
The items donated to TCH are designed for a variety of uses, according to Hawkins.
“We decided that we needed items not just for the child patient, but also for family members,” Hawkins said. “Often a brother or sister can be more upset than the patient himself, and so we targeted things like puzzles, coloring books and other stuff kids could do in the emergency room waiting area, or while visiting.”
Hawkins conducted the drive by cold-calling businesses and individuals in Transylvania County.
“I want to thank everyone for their help,” she said. “I know businesses get asked for donations all the time, but everyone was very supportive of what I was trying to do. Even the ones who couldn’t contribute had ideas and suggestions which helped me.”
Hawkins is a senior at Brevard High and is the BHS nominee for the Morehead Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She plans to attend either UNC or Davidson and major in pre-medicine. She is the daughter of Mike and Claudia Hawkins of Brevard.
About Transylvania Community Hospital
Transylvania Community Hospital is a nationally ranked 5-Star Hospital and a leading provider of quality healthcare services in Transylvania and surrounding counties. Based in Brevard, N.C., it is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1933 and is the largest employer in Transylvania County.