Recap On Elizabeth Weidner Travel Samples Collection Effort

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Published on April 4 2018 11:10 am
Last Updated on April 4 2018 5:02 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Effingham County Junior Miss Elizabeth Weidner's project to collect hotel travel samples and amenities in February turned out to be highly successful.

As Elizabeth's family has learned through her trips to the hospital in St. Louis while she battles cancer, there are times when you forget to pack shampoo or toothpaste or similar items. That led to a project to collect those items that people often take home with them after they stay in a hotel. Those items were in turn donated to St. Louis Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.

A number of locations served as drop-off points, including our studios at Fayette and Willow. Other sites included Habing's Furniture in Teutopolis, Old Mac's in Dieterich and Farmhouse Consignment in Newton.

The collection effort was highly successful. In the picture above, Elizabeth is seen with the items donated here at the studios. The same amount or more was collected from the other locations. Local motels also got into the act, contributing items from their inventory and places such as Heartland Dental donated goods. Other donors included Sunrise Rotary, Country Haven Event Center, Dollar General, Super 8, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn and Suites/Fairfield Inn and Suites/Comfort Inn and Suites-Effingham, Comfort Inn and Suites Chesterfield, Mary Kay with Kathy Schroeder, Sallie Wall, Cathy Tomlinson, Christy Flach and Holly Ordner and Avon Career Centers that provided specific goody bags for teenage girls to "look good, feel better". 

Elizabeth's mother, Jennifer, said the family then repacked all of the items and hauled them in a trailer donated by Jason Ruholl of DDS to St. Louis. She said they tried to warn the hospital staff about the amount of items they were bringing, but said they were still overwhelmed. She said a hospital staffer brought out something like a shopping cart to receive the items and then saw the trailer. Elizabeth's dad, Matt, said to the hospital staffer, "You'll need a few more carts."

It took Elizabeth, Matt, Jennifer, a friend Elizabeth has made while they are both battling cancer, and three hospital staffers to finally get the trailer unloaded and the donated items taken inside. Jennifer said the donations pretty much filled a room.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. Jennifer said they are still receiving items, so expects they'll be making another trip to St. Louis to deliver those items, too.