Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals.
Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment.
Shriners Children’s provides care regardless of a family’s ability to pay or insurance status. Patients can be referred by other healthcare providers, by members of the Shriners fraternity or simply by the family calling the hospital or going online at shrinerschildrens.org. The local hospital, Shriners Children’s Ohio, relocated to Dayton in 2021 after more than 50 years in Cincinnati.
The Champaign County Shrine Club has two major fund-raisers annually to support these hospitals: the aluminum can collection and the golf tournament.
This year’s golf tournament raised over $4,800, thanks to Noble Scott Spangler – who has chaired this event for several years and the many golfers who enjoyed a day of golf and enthusiastically returned most of the prize money to this charitable cause.
The aluminum can collection has been going on since 1989. Many local residents probably remember when the cans were collected beside Johnny’s Body Shop. This past year the local Shriners made $20,233.94 from this project. When the price of aluminum was up the Shriners made as much as $50,000. Since 1989 the local Shriners have made $845,501.08 by collecting aluminum cans. The Shriners especially thank those who save their aluminum cans for this cause and drop them off at the various collection points throughout the county or at the loading site, located behind Vancrest.
Rob Butler is the current local Shriners president and Steve Moore is the current publicity chair.
All of the Nobles of the Champaign County Shrine Club extend to the community their special thanks, as do the children and families Shriners serve.
“If you have the opportunity, we hope you will visit one of our hospitals and see how we work to transform the lives of children every day,” the local Shriners said in a press release. “If you ever want more information about our hospitals or how to recommend a child for treatment, please do not hesitate to contact any Shriner.”
