If anyone could use some extra bright spots in their day,
it’s children living with cancer.
Attendees at this year’s National Settlement Services Summit
(NS3) in Naples, Fla., helped bring smiles to the faces of young cancer
patients during the “Make a Child Smile” community service event, sponsored by
Qualia. Attendees volunteered to help fill Bags of Sunshine for The Sunshine Kids.
“It is a pleasure to watch how our industry responds year
after year to the call to help children in need in our host NS3 community,”
October Research, LLC CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer said. “Thank you to Qualia
and our attendees for helping out children battling cancer in the Naples area.”
Participants filled drawstring bags with crayons, coloring
books, slime and other items that let hospitalized children play and have fun. The
bags were presented to The Sunshine Kids on Wednesday at NS3, which is being
held at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.
“Qualia is honored to continue its decade-long tradition of
leading the Make a Child Smile initiative at NS3,” Qualia Vice President of
Marketing Charlene Wang said. “We were eager to join the NS3 community again
this year and lend our collective support to The Sunshine Kids by filling Bags
of Sunshine for young cancer patients across Florida.”
The Sunshine Kids is a foundation that provides pediatric
cancer patients with toys and activities to keep them engaged and entertained
while in the hospital.
“Sunshine Kids is
honored to have been selected as the organization to participate in the Make a
Child Smile community outreach event. Events like this allow us to brighten the
days of many children that are in need of a distraction to what is currently going
on in their lives,” Sunshine Kids Event Manager Sammi LeRoy said.
“The Bags of Sunshine we are creating are going to bring
many smiles to children all around Florida,” LeRoy added. “We will take every
chance we can to provide a bit of happiness in the hospital, where happiness
isn’t always present as they are going through treatment, cooped up in a
hospital room, and not being able to be like every other kid. We are very
thankful to be able to make this all happen at the NS3.”
For over 11 years, October Research has been hosting the
Make A Child Smile event at NS3. It has supported community service
organizations across the country, including The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery in
St. Louis, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Texas Foster
Care and Adoption Services, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida,
Charlotte Ronald McDonald House Charities, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House
Charities, The St. Bernard Project, Toys for Tots and Ohio Guidestone.