A Lot of Love's to Give
Love's Travel Stops continues to show its love for its member hospitals in a record-breaking fashion! Their five-week campaign during August and September raised a record $1,406,108 for 89 of our member hospitals!
Most of the funds were raised through the purchase of paper icon hearts at 290 Love's locations. You may have seen them hanging around...
As with every year, the campaign also involved some very inspired and energetic Love's locations. And with that, some very motivated Love's team members, like James Bohanan and his team. Over the past two years, this general manager has led $35,000+ in fundraising for his member hospital. See what's motivated James to give back in his own words. And thanks to EVERYONE who donated and helped spread the word this year. Your donation will be reflected in our hospitals' halls, operating rooms and specialty wards.
James Bohanan, general manager of Love’s in Palestine, Ark., and his team raised the most money for CMN Hospitals of all Love’s locations in 2011 – a whopping $19,084 in just five weeks by selling one paper heart icon at a time. James holds the annual campaign near and dear to his heart since he knows firsthand what a CMN Hospital can do.
In 1987 when James was 14 years old, his 4-year-old little sister Melody was consistently not feeling well. James and his family were living in Boise City, Okla., and the local doctor diagnosed Melody with Lyme disease. A year later, a different doctor discovered it was not Lyme disease she was struggling with, it was something more severe: leukemia. The doctor recommended that Melody get treatment at the children’s hospital in Oklahoma City.
Melody underwent treatments for the next four years and her family was with her every step of the way. Just one month before James graduated from high school, he and his family moved to Oklahoma City to be closer to the hospital.
“We basically lived at Oklahoma City Children’s Hospital for about four years,” James said. “My family really needed Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals; Melody would not have gotten the proper treatment without their help.”
Melody had to fight the biggest battle of her life beginning at age 4. After countless rounds of chemo and years of sleepless nights full of worry about the future, she was finally declared cancer free at age 10. Their little girl could finally go on leading a normal, happy, healthy life.
Melody has never had a Leukemia relapse since she was cleared at age 10. She just celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary in July and has a little boy of her own.
Last year, James and his team held a cookout fundraiser complete with live music from The Negative Effect, a band featuring James and another general manager from Love’s in Ozark, Ark., on vocals and guitar. They held a 2012 cookout on Sept. 15 complete with a bouncey house for the kids, the local police department pumping gas for tips and more. Between the in-store fundraiser and the cookout, James' team raised nearly $16,000 — an incredible example of what team work and impassioned asking can accomplish. Though James' team has fun with their events, for him it will always be personal.
“Love’s annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign is a way to pay back the help that my sister got. My team has done such an amazing job raising money and our customers are so generous. I appreciate it so much.”
My Big Brother JR shared a very important part of my life. Truly means allot. I know things weren’t easy for my siblings to be moved away from what they knew growing up. And me being in and out of the hospital. I want all of you to know that I greatly appreciate each and every one of you very much. I am very blessed to have had such a great support team beside me. My family means the world to me. They kept me strong to where I could keep fighting. Even though it was the hardest battle I have ever fought, it was the best. Because it showed me how family is suppose to be. We all have so many memories together. I cherish every moment I had with all of you and cherish every moment I get with you today! Jr you will never know how much this story means to me. I hope by you sharing it will help other children and family's stay strong and never give up. There's always HOPE!! I am very blessed my family had CMN. Thank you CMN for everything you did for me and my family. Always cherish your Family and the time you have together!! I love my Big Brother James Bohanan very much!!! God Bless each and every one of you!!!
Posted by: Melody Williams | Oct 25, 2012 at 11:39 PM
you are the best mom i will never ever leave you i will live with you for ever. GOD BLESS YOU MOM I LOVE YOU SO MUCH
Posted by: Melody Williams | Oct 28, 2012 at 09:33 PM
Miracles do happen everywhere and anywhere. Doing miracles is one of the most enagging facets of the life of Jesus and care for the children is one of them. No matter how big or small our donations maybe, the benefit it can give to children is non comparable.
Posted by: Caloundra Bookkeeping | Dec 16, 2012 at 07:49 PM