Walgreens partners with wqam for annual toy drive benefitting Miami Children’s Hospital FOUNDATION
It has all the components of the perfect holiday story: a philanthropic corporation and a thankful radio personality joining together to help a well-deserving cause. Thanks to Walgreens’ partnership with Orlando Alzugaray, host and senior reporter at WQAM radio, and Children’s Miracle Network, this story has come to life, with a joint toy collection benefitting the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Drop off a new unwrapped toy at any Walgreens locations in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties by Monday, Dec. 21
The relationship between Walgreens and Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation began in March 2009 when Murray Selen, Director of Charity Outreach for Walgreens in South Florida, approached the Foundation and offered to place collection canisters for the hospital at store registers and pharmacies in Dade and Monroe counties. Encouraged with the success of the collections, Selen decided to increase Walgreens’ involvement after a visit to Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH).
“After seeing the hospital’s impressive toy room, we decided to partner with Orlando Alzugaray in his annual drive by offering the 100 Walgreens stores in Dade and Monroe counties as drop-off points,” Selen explained. “Our goal is to personally place collection boxes in front of each store and then deliver the toys to the hospital.”
This is the sixth year for Alzugaray, who has traditionally collected toys from his listeners and sponsors to distribute to children at MCH throughout the entire year. The drive generally begins in early November and ends right before Christmas.
Alzugaray’s involvement with MCH and the Foundation began when he was hospitalized there as a child, back when it was known as Variety Children’s Hospital. He credits the hospital for saving his hearing, thus allowing him to pursue a career as a radio personality.
“The time I spent in the hospital were two of the greatest weeks of my life,” explained Alzugaray. “Once I started in the business, I knew I wanted to do something for those who did so much for me.”
Alzugaray is excited about the partnership with Walgreens and is confident that, with their help, he will beat past records despite the poor economy. He knows he can count on listeners who traditionally help him by organizing toy collections of their own, like
Skyway Elementary School in Miami. “It’s a real boost when kids are giving toys to kids,” he added.
Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization whose sole mission is to create awareness and generate funds for Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), the only licensed specialty hospital in South Florida exclusively for children. The Foundation’s guiding principle is that children’s health care is the primary concern of all and that children are precious, like diamonds, and thus must be afforded access to state-of-the-art pediatric care. MCH, one of 170 children’s hospitals in North America affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network, is a 289-bed freestanding facility, is Florida’s only pediatric hospital included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 listing of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.” For additional information on Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, please visit www.mchf.org.