Vote now for your favorite.
The 2018 college football season is underway — and Georgia Bulldogs fans couldn’t be happier with how things are going. There are reasonable expectations that another Eastern Division championship is coming to Athens. And there are optimistic whispers of even bigger things to come before the post-season wraps.
But die-hard Dawg fans aren’t the only ones happily counting the numbers in the win column. Walton Gas customers as well as those who benefit from the work of three Georgia organizations are keeping close tabs, too.
Walton Gas is donating money to
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Salvation Army and
Camp Twin Lakes for every game the Bulldogs win this season.
Through it’s Champions for Charity program, Walton Gas and its customers are donating money to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Salvation Army and Camp Twin Lakes for every game the Bulldogs win this season. The company is donating $1,000 for every regular season victory. Plus, Walton Gas adds another $5,000 to the total if the Bulldogs win a bowl game.
Last year, Walton Gas donated $50,000 that was divided among the three organizations. Since 2013, when the program started, Walton Gas and its customers have contributed more than $175,000 to the charities that collectively benefit thousands of Georgians each year.
More than $175,000 has been donated to charities
that collectively benefit thousands of Georgians each year.
In 2017, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta received a check for $27,000 for receiving the most votes and matching contributions from new Walton Gas customers. The Salvation Army was presented a $13,000 donation, and Camp Twin Lakes received $10,000.
On Nov. 11 when the Bulldogs host Auburn at Sanford Stadium, Walton Gas officials will join representatives of the three charities to present this year’s checks. If you’re at the game, keep an eye out for the on-field presentation of the donations during pre-game activities. Or, check the Walton Gas website the following Monday to learn which organization took home the biggest check this year.
Choose your charity
While every organization is a winner in Champions for Charity, it’s up to Walton Gas customers to determine which organization will collect the most money. Voting for the checks that will be presented during the 2019 season is now underway. To help you choose, here is some information about each organization.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA)
From life-saving pediatric cancer treatments and organ transplants to fracture care and appendectomies, the not-for-profit CHOA is meeting the medical needs of Georgia’s children and teens. U.S. News and World Report ranks it as one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals.
In 2017, more than 390,000 sick or injured children
received care at CHOA.
In 2017, more than 390,000 sick or injured children received care at CHOA. Its new Center for Advanced Pediatrics, which opened in July, is expected to welcome more than 100,000 patient visits per year.
All this care comes at a hefty price tag. The daily cost to operate all of CHOA’s hospitals is nearly $4 million. Donations like those made by Walton Gas provide amenities that aren’t covered by the operations budget.
With the $27,000 CHOA received from Walton Gas last year, the hospital could buy 13 wheelchairs for patients or eight special gliders where parents can sit and cuddle infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The donation was also enough to purchase 54 iPads to entertain children while they are undergoing radiology treatments, plus 20 music soothers for infant cribs and also 100 sets of supplies that allow patients and their medical team to celebrate when something extraordinary happens.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army offers prevention, refuge and stability to men, women and families who find themselves without shelter due to personal and financial circumstances.
In metro Atlanta, three shelters offer 500 beds to individuals in need. The shelters also provide meals, laundry, rehabilitation and spiritual counseling. During times of natural disaster, such as hurricanes and flooding, Salvation Army units are deployed to provide food services and care to those in crisis.
Walton Gas’s $13,000 donation was enough
to provide a bed in a shelter for 390 nights this year.
The Salvation Army’s homelessness prevention program includes housing for low-income elderly, handicapped and disabled persons. The charity’s Veterans on the Move program is a three-month residential substance abuse program for homeless veterans with an honorable discharge. There are also residential recovery programs for individuals battling addiction and sex trafficking victims.
Walton Gas’s $13,000 donation was enough to provide a bed in a shelter for 390 nights this year.
Camp Twin Lakes
Georgia’s Camp Twin Lakes is one of only a handful of camps in the nation designed exclusively for children with extraordinary medical needs. The camp serves children with a range of serious illnesses and special needs, from cancer and diabetes to kidney disorders, asthma and burn injuries.
Each year, some 10,000 campers spend time at one of the Twin Lakes campsites (Rutledge, Winder, Warm Springs) or participate in its day camp program at children’s hospitals. The camp offers medically intensive services such as chemotherapy and dialysis as well as wheelchair accessible outdoor recreation and lodging.
With the help of donors like Walton Gas, Camp Twin Lakes
subsidizes 70% of the cost of each camper.
With the help of donors like Walton Gas, Camp Twin Lakes subsidizes 70% of the cost of each camper. More than 70% of all campers attend camp at no cost to their family.
A $10,000 donation by Walton Gas sponsors 20 campers for a week of camp, or it can provide outdoor adventure programs such as horseback riding and rock climbing for 36 camper cabins. The donation can also fund 10 day camps at Georgia children’s hospitals.