Canteen- Give a Heart Day
Porter Hinton, Canteen’s Midwest Division President, challenged his division back in October to find a local group, organization or school that his entire team could support. His team found Moose International and fell in love with the cause. Mooseheart Child City and School is a home for children and teens in need, ranging in age from infancy through high school.
Currently, there are over 24 single homes on the property where six to ten children live with dedicated “house parents”. Mooseheart’s mission is to ensure these children receive the care and education they deserve while they develop the necessary social and physical skills for success in adulthood.
This led to the creation of Canteen’s Give a Heart Day. Last Saturday, February 20th, Canteen hosted an event that brought together over 450 attendees from the Mooseheart, IL area including 210 Mooseheart children and 80 Canteen volunteers. It was a fun-filled day with activities including a bounce house, face painting, obstacle course and arts and crafts for the younger kids. The Mooseheart teens lined up for a basketball contest, Zumba and a trip to the spa! Kids of all ages joined in on the action with the Illinois Arborist Association, which brought tree climbing harnesses and ropes to show the kids how to climb while learning about being an arborist. The culinary team provided a delicious buffet and an ice cream making station to help keep everyone energized and excited throughout the day.
“There’s nothing better than a beautiful smiling face,” said Maggie Fisher, VP of Marketing for Canteen as she photographed a resident’s contagious ear to ear grin at the face painting table. Smiles could be seen everywhere throughout the day from attendees and volunteers alike.
But the support for Mooseheart International doesn’t end here for the Midwest team. “Besides this event, each of our districts will be connecting with the local Moose lodges to volunteer their time and participate in local fundraisers for the Mooseheart home,” said Heidi Schuerstedt, Customer Relations Manager. “This will give all 800+ employees in our division an opportunity to give back to their local community.”
To learn more about Moose International and their cause, please visit their website.