It’s better to give than to receive, but even better when you can do both at once. The Glennon Card, which costs $50, entitles users to a 20 percent discount on regularly priced merchandise at more than 300 participating stores, restaurants and salons from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2—just in time for a head start on holiday shopping. Best of all, card sales directly benefit 200,000 children served each year at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.
The card was introduced three years ago by Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation, which raises funds for the medical center, and the Glennon Guild, a 300-member women’s volunteer organization that supports the center’s needs. “The Glennon Card has gained momentum every year, growing 83 percent since 2011,” says Brigette McMillin, who co-chairs the 2014 card program with sister Glennon Guild members Cindy Brooks and Sarah Dow. “It’s a huge hit with local merchants and savvy shoppers who appreciate a good deal. Everyone reaps the benefits, especially when proceeds go to a great cause.” Last year, 2,444 cards were sold, raising more than $122,200 for the medical center. Additional community contributions, including a donation from presenting sponsor Fifth Third Bank, increased the amount to $161,900.
Thanks to 2013 Glennon Card sales and sponsor donations, visitors can enjoy improved waiting areas at the hospital, as well as newly remodeled, interactive atrium and lobby areas. “We’re making the hospital more welcoming and convenient,” McMillin explains. “Bright, cheery, easy-to- navigate spaces help soothe children and their families during times of worry and uncertainty.” Past card sales benefited the medical center’s transport team, purchased telemedicine equipment and life-saving heart and lung monitoring machines, and enhanced parking facilities and treatment programs at the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center, which serves children with learning and developmental disabilities.
Cardholders enjoy saving on top-of-the-line goods and services that usually aren’t discounted. “It’s a great excuse to visit shops, restaurants and salons you’ve never tried before,” McMillin says. “You can recoup the cost of the card with just $250 in purchases, so it takes the guilt out of splurging!” Business owners and store managers are among the card’s biggest boosters, she notes. “They appreciate the increased traffic and sales during one of the slowest shopping times of the year, the period between back-to-school and the holidays.”
The 2014 Glennon Card program is presented by Fifth Third Bank. Co-sponsors include Town & Style, Show Me St. Louis, KSDK News Channel 5, Plaza Frontenac and Ylang Ylang. The card is available online at glennoncard.org until Oct. 19, and at 127 participating merchants after Oct. 11. A complete list of merchants is available online and at mobile.glennoncard.org, an app that lists and maps all participants.
“Buying a Glennon Card lets the entire community save money, improve the local economy, and share Cardinal Glennon’s mission to help and heal children,” McMillin says. “That’s why we call it ‘the card that cares.’”
Pictured: Glennon Card co-chairs Sarah Dow, Brigette McMillin and Cindy Brooks with Glennon Foundation executive director Sandy Koller
Photo: Bill Barrett
[The 2014 Glennon Card program runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 2 at more than 300 premier shops, restaurants and salons around town. Proceeds benefit SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. For more information,visit glennoncard.org. Follow Glennon Card on Twitter @cardinalglennon #glennoncard and on facebook at facebook.com/glennonfoundation.]