Childhood should be a time for learning, adventure and play, but some area children are more familiar with IVs and doctors than soccer balls and bikes due to a life-threatening disease. It’s natural to want to help, and every year, St. Louisans get the opportunity to support young patients at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital by participating in one of its most important fundraising initiatives, the Glennon Card.
This year, the hospital’s shopping card program offers discounts at more than 335 area merchants and restaurants from Oct. 20 through 29. Shoppers purchase a card for $50 and can use it at their favorite participating retailers and eateries for a 20 percent discount during that period. All proceeds from card sales benefit children cared for at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon. Cards can be ordered online at glennoncard.org until Oct. 13; after that date, they can be purchased at 218 of the participating merchants. A list of this year’s participating stores and restaurants can be found online.
Using the card is one of the most thoughtful and tangible ways St. Louisans can help fund important hospital services for children, says Traci Ragsdale, who co-chairs the 2017 Glennon Card program with Tricia Davies and advising chair Brigette McMillin. It’s presented each year by the Glennon Guild women’s auxiliary and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation. The card is a ‘win-win’ initiative because it allows people to help kids by doing something fun like holiday shopping, Ragsdale notes.
“Saving money is always nice, and it seems our cardholders are pretty savvy,” she says. “A couple of years ago, for example, one local family had just bought a vacation home. They waited until Glennon Card time to buy furniture for the new house at participating stores. Other shoppers mark up their participating merchant lists with where they want to go, meet their friends and make a whole day of it.” Cardholders are encouraged to share their finds with others on social media by using Twitter hashtags #glennoncard and #shopSTL, posting photos, and tagging friends and participating merchants. The program’s slogan, ‘Shop Local, Save Local, Support Local Kids,’ illustrates how all proceeds from card sales stay in St. Louis, Ragsdale says.
Glennon Card funds support a different patient care initiative each year. This year, they are earmarked for 3-D printing technology that creates life-size, full-color diagnostic models of patients’ organs and tissues. The models allow Cardinal Glennon doctors to better understand a child’s health condition before surgery or treatment, and can help them explain those processes to the patient and family. Another recently funded project is the renovation of the 4 North inpatient cancer unit at the hospital’s Costas Center. It will be unveiled in January 2018 and includes 18 stateof-the-art patient rooms, an updated playroom, new nursing stations and more. Since the card program launched in 2011, it has raised more than $1 million to help young patients, Ragsdale says.
“We sold 18 percent more cards in 2016 than in 2015, and our numbers of participating merchants and restaurants also have grown. St. Louisans definitely embrace the program,” she notes. “Caring about the community is always good for business.”
The Glennon Card Program offers a 20 percent discount at more than 335 participating merchants from Oct. 20 through 29. Edward Jones is the program’s 2017 presenting sponsor. Pictured on the cover: Stella and Grayson Yank, siblings of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Patient Lilly, at Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods. For information on purchasing the card, visit glennoncard.org.
Cover design | Allie Bronsky
Cover photo | Tim Parker Photography
