During the second quarter of 2016, IPMers focused Integrated Project Mercy efforts to cancer support, with each regional office finding nearby opportunities to dedicate their time and talents.
In Chicago, several IPMers participated in the ABC7 Gibbons 5K chip-timed run or the 5K fun run/3K walk in Grant Park on June 16. The “Cancer Crushers” IPM team raised funds for the Leukemia Research Foundation. On July 15, seven lucky winners of a fundraising raffle accompanied the teenage members of Gilda’s Club Chicago to a Chicago Cubs game. Gilda’s Club is a place where men, women and children whose lives have been touched by cancer, as well as their families and friends, can feel they are part of a welcoming community of support.
IPMers in the Eastern Region donated blood platelets at the Dana Farber Kraft Family Blood Center in Boston in support of patients with blood cancers. They also supported Why Me & Sherry’s House in Worcester, Massachusetts, a home that provides support services to families of children with cancer. The IPM team cleaned, cooked, and purchased household goods used by families during their stay.
The Indianapolis team collaborated with IPM’s Chicago office to collect more than 200 books and games for the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center in downtown Indianapolis. The collection effort doubled the amount of books that volunteers have on hand for distribution to cancer patients. The quality and variety of the drive, combined with the engagement of the IPM Indy team, attracted the attention of patients and family members, who shared their stories with the team. Most of the books and games were distributed within an hour.
Volunteers from the Los Angeles office participated in the ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk on June 25 at Shoreline Aquatic Park. They helped with registration, distributing finish-line food and water, and served at the water stations along the race course. The team also collected donations for infants, toddlers, and teens staying at Miller’s Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach.
In San Francisco, IPMers participated in the Corporate Volunteer Day for George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro. The first freestanding pediatric palliative care center to open in the United States in 2004, George Mark Children’s House serves families with children and young adults who have a serious medical illness seeking family-centered medical care. The team also prepared a fundraising letter for Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo, a volunteer group dedicated to transforming chemotherapy treatment rooms into beautiful, tranquil environments.
The St. Louis team dedicated its efforts to the Kellsie’s Hope Foundation. Each November, Kellsie’s Hope hosts the “Trees of Hope” banquet., where trees donated by volunteers are raffled with all proceeds going to research for children with cancer. The St. Louis team will decorate several Christmas trees during the St. Louis staff meeting in September. They will also purchase one of the raffled trees, with contributions coming from St. Louis staff-generated funds.
Minneapolis IPMers participated in a fundraising activity called the Crawl for Cancer, in which participants traveled to five local bars, where teams were given four tickets valid for four pitchers of beer. The Minneapolis team also helped distribute toys to the local Ronald McDonald house.
Each quarter, IPM employees select a different charity for volunteers in all seven offices to dedicate their time and talents in their communities. Projects generally focus on children, education, or the underprivileged. Through these efforts, IPM employees have raised thousands of dollars while contributing hundreds of hours to help those in need.
September 27, 2016
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