Credit unions make generous donation to Hospice

“We were sitting talking about charities and we noticed there are not a lot of venues for kids at Hospice,” said CEO of Financial Trust FCU, John Morrison. “So we came over and met with people at Hospice and they loved the idea.”

Five Western New York credit unions teamed up for the third annual “Care for Kids” golf outing, Aug. 8 at Chestnut Hill Country Club, which raised $7,607 for Hospice Buffalo; an organization that provides at-home care to children suffering life threatening illnesses.

“It’s just incredible to have their support,” said Hospice Special Events Associate, Jennifer Wudyka. “The money will help care for the kids in the program and right now we have about 27 kids we are taking care of.”

The golf outing was made available to all credit union members. Tickets were sold for $95 and included 18-holes of golf, lunch, a steak dinner, and a one-hour open bar. The event also includes split clubs and Chinese auctions to raise extra money for the cause.

Credit union employees stated that the reason why the outing is so special is because the money stays close to home. Essential Care for Children at Hospice is the first program in the country and it started right in Buffalo.

“We’re happy it stays within our local community,” said CEO of CrossRoads Community FCU, Kevin Kiehl. “Everybody is affected by Hospice in one way or another.”

The program provides physical, spiritual, and emotional care for children who live in Erie, Niagara and parts of Genesee and Cattaraugus counties. Hospice representatives said care doesn’t only pertain to the patient; family members and siblings are also taken care of.

“The siblings needs are addressed too because the parent’s focus is on the child,” said President of the Hospice Foundation, Pat Flynn. “So we try to alleviate the stress that they are experiencing. We’re actually one of the few programs in the country like this.”

Federal credit unions that participated in the event include Crossroads Community, Financial Trust, Western Division, Buffalo Metropolitan and Buffalo Conrail.

Organizers said the event sells out every year and always exceeds the amount earned from previous years. If anyone is interested in participating in next year’s “Care for Kids” golf outing, contact John Morrison at jmorrison@ftcu.net or Kevin Kiehl at kkiehl@crossroadscommunityfcu.com