September 25, 2016

Caring Bear Picnic at Standish Hospital to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Amy Rich
Leaping through the air, Jesse Smith, 12, and Kenny Moore, 10, both of Standish race to the finish line in their potato and peanut sacks. “That was awesome,” said Smith after the race. The Caring Bear Picnic had plenty to keep kids hopping during the June 16 event.
Amy Rich
Kylee Grezeszak, 4 of Standish, colors a page at the PRIDE drug prevention program's table. The group offered arts and crafts for kids attending the Caring Bear Picnic.
Amy Rich
Eli Kuehnemund, 4 of Pinconning had a blast decorating his cupcake with tons of frosting and sprinkles. "Yummy!" said Kuehnemund as he devoured his creation. "Its fun," said Jayea Meihls who volunteered at the cupcake table.
Amy Rich
Nancy Bluemlein of Skidway paints hearts and stars on Addison Ryan's cheek. The face painting station was so popular that Bluemlein offered to step in and help veteran volunteer Marion Ahern who had been painting faces for nearly three hours and still had a line up.
Amy Rich
Sliding out of the bounce house, Kenzie Schell, 4 of Sterling beams toward her grandma, Alice Sproule. "I can't get the kids out of here! They love it so much, I'll have to pull them out when the hospital closes up shop!"
Amy Rich
Connie Manszewski, support staff member of the MSU Extension, helps Clay Vallad and Trevor Plachta, both 9, assemble food pyramid bracelets and sends them home with nutritional information.
Amy Rich
With the help of grandma Julie Schwab, Dorothy Schwab, 2, of Standish makes a magnet at the NEMCSA Early Head Start/Head Start table. "She's having fun and learning a lot," said Schwab of her Early Head Start grandchild.
Amy Rich
What is a dietician's favorite snack? Ants on a log! Mallori Lahar, Standish hospital staff dietician and Thelrene Hundley, Administrative Assistant, had assembled over 97 snacks from 11 a.m. to noon.
Amy Rich
"Fingerprints are cool. I think I've never seen mine before," said Hunter Brock, 7, of Standish as he got fingerprinted by Deputy Vallad. Vallad lost track of just how many fingerprints she had done during the day. "I've done a lot," she said, "I've been volunteering at events like these for 11 years now."
Amy RIch
Auxiliary Surgeon Chris Rose dutifully sews a teddy bear's seams together. "This guy belongs to Addison. He had a hole in his leg and one in his neck," Rose said. A volunteer for 12 years, Rose has sewn many furry friends and also raised funds for Skilled Nursing as well as working in St. Mary's Standish Hospital's gift shop.
Amy Rich
Bernie Pelts gathers fluffy globs of cotton candy to serve a long line of sugar seeking kids. "This is my job every year," said Pelts, a member of the Auxiliary.
Amy Rich
During the Caring Bear Picnic, a crowd gathered at the pavilion, where a free lunch was being served. Antionette Stagray and Caitlin Lucynski, cafeteria workers at the Standish hospital served hungry guests sloppy joes, snack mix, baby carrots and watermelon.
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Posted

It may have been raining on Thursday, June 16, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of over 120 area children and their families who attended St. Mary’s of Michigan Standish Hospital’s Caring Bear Picnic at the Page Memorial Park. “Despite the weather, attendance was comparable to last year,” Said Community Relations Manager Holly Bender. 2011 wasn’t the first year that Standish hospital hosted the health and safety day geared toward children up to age 12, but it was the first time they offered cupcake decorating in honor of the hospital’s “birthday”. The 50th birthday celebration included a bounce house, face painting, party games, arts and crafts and a free lunch but also served to educate the public with a germ vs. hand washing activity, car seat safety checks, child fingerprinting, food pyramid bracelet making and summer safety tips. Starting at 11 a.m. the park was filled with families enjoying the wide variety of activities.

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I remember the day the hospital was dedicated. I was there accompanied by my classmates from Mrs. Pelton's 3rd grade class from the Standish elementary. Mitt Romney's dad Gov. George Romney gave the dedication speech invited there by local GOP leader and Standish businessman Al LaPorte. Arlene Good & Bette Metzler spearheaded efforts to establish a Red Cross chapter. 50 years ago...where did they all go?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 | Report this

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