Hospital foundation among those seeking donor participation this Friday
(Seguin) — Local non-profits in Seguin and Guadalupe County are hoping to capitalize Big during this year’s Big Give 2022.
The Big Give is South Central Texas’ 24-hour online day of online giving fueled by the power of generous donors.
While non-profits are looking to pull in as many dollars as they can during a new 24-hour timeframe of 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept 22 to 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation is hoping to double those dollars from their donors in just two minutes.
In pursuit of working toward funding a new $20,000 Panda Infant Warmer for local babies at GRMC, Elaine Bennett, the chief executive officer for the hospital foundation, says the hospital is being supported with a matching opportunity from the Najim Foundation.
“We have two opportunities that were given to us from the Najim Charitable Foundation, and they are two one-minute opportunities. They are matching up to $20,000 for each time slot and so on Friday, the 23rd at 10:09 (a.m.) and at 11:09 (a.m.) and the maximum gift is $200 per gift and it will be until the $20,000 runs out but at that point in time, if you are giving $10, that will generate $20 for this important piece of equipment and if you have $200 to spare and we have 100 people, we will be maxed at $20,000. So any dollar amount is very important for this project and especially during these two one minute Match Minutes is what they call it,” said Bennett.
Bennett says the foundation is very thankful to the Najim Foundation for extending its Match Minutes to GRMC. During these two minutes, there will only be 96 agencies who will have access to these funds for a potential match.
Lauren Riggs, the director of the GRMC Birthing Center, says preparation is key when having to resuscitate an infant and looks forward to replacing multiple pieces of equipment with this new Panda Infant Warmer.
“This is a piece of equipment that will replace our existing warmer. It has everything integrated into it for resuscitation of a newborn if the need arises so it’s a turnkey solution, so everything is readily available if we need to resuscitate an infant,” said Riggs.
Heather Patterson, director of cardiopulmonary, says the Panda warmer would also allow for more room for her team and the nurses who often work side in the delivery room.
“It helps to be more streamlined. It allows us to have more room while we work with the nurses in the delivery — to have everything readily available for us to work as a team and make a smooth transition with the delivery and help the doctors and the baby ultimately,” said Patterson.
More importantly, Riggs says this piece of equipment, hopefully brought on by donors, will benefit every child born at GRMC.
“This piece of equipment will actually be used in every single delivery, and it does have the capability though that if the need arises and if an infant does need to be resuscitated, we can quickly turn on the equipment that is needed and do what is needed for that baby,” said Riggs.
Again, the timeframe to give to the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation so that donations are matched will be at 10:09 a.m. and 11:09 a.m. Friday. Online donations can be made at www.thebiggivesa.org.
Another local non-profit looking to generate double the dollars during the 24-hour online fundraising effort is CASA of Central Texas, Court Appointed Special Advocates. Donors are encouraged to check out its website for details behind its designated minutes to give. In all, approximately 17 non-profits in Seguin and Guadalupe County will also be seeking donations.
Since 2014, over 262,000 donors have given over $35 million dollars to our local nonprofits through the Big Give, making it one of the most successful giving days in the country.