Magical Moments toy drive helps uplift pediatric cancer patients

ROYAL OAK — Every September since 2016, Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union has hosted toy drives in honor of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.

This year marks the organization’s 10th year partnering with a local children’s hospital to fill toy chests for these young patients. The theme of this year’s toy drive is “Magical Moments.” 

“We wanted to commemorate the 10th anniversary in a special way, and Magical  Moments was the idea our team connected with the most,” said Heidi Kassab, president and CEO of Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union. “Ten years, one magical mission: to bring hope and comfort by donating toys to kids fighting cancer. After all, magical stories remind us that even during tough times, there’s always room for a bit of magic.”

Since its inception in September of 2016, the toy drive has had a special theme for each year. The theme shapes what toys and books are donated. So this year, participants are being asked to bring toys and books with a magic theme. 

“We are collecting toys and books from magical stories like Frozen, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy  Jackson, Moana, Encanto, Star Wars, and many more,” Cornerstone’s website, ccfinacial.com, states. “This  magical theme allows us to donate toys and books for all ages, from babies to teens.”

Kassab said that Cornerstone began this program because of the organization’s dedication to community partnerships. 

“Community is at the heart of who we are at Cornerstone, and we’re proud to support the neighborhoods we serve. The Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Toledo Children’s Hospital do incredible work for local families, and we wanted to give back in a tangible way,” Kassab said. “For child life teams at both hospitals, keeping toy closets full is an ongoing challenge, so our goal was to help make that responsibility a little easier with a consistent, annual partnership.”

Each year Cornerstone sets a goal to donate 500 toys to both Children’s Hospital of Michigan and ProMedica Toledo Children’s Hospital, according to Kassab. 

“Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have met that goal every year and are aiming to do it again this year,” she said. “Plus, with our matching program, every toy donated doubles into two.”

Sinead Nimmo, child life project specialist at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, said that the dedication of the people at Cornerstone is what keeps the tradition going. 

“The dedication of the folks at Cornerstone and the scale of their efforts stands out. They’ve been wonderful to work with,”  Nimmo said, “Ten years is an amazing milestone to reach for any sort of partnership, and we of course hope that the partnership with Children’s Hospital of Michigan continues for another 10 years — and another and another and another. Plus, as the largest pediatric cancer program in metro Detroit, we are especially grateful for their efforts during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.”

Nimmo said that Children’s Hospital of Michigan has worked with many different partnerships over the years when it comes to toy drives, but Cornerstone has gone above and beyond to make theirs special.  

“They take on a big job of reaching out into the community to raise awareness about pediatric cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. And they go one step further than awareness: they give the community a specific way to help kids in the hospital, giving them access to play. We are grateful to be working with such a dedicated, caring organization,”  Nimmo said.  

Nimmo said the most important aspect of this program is to provide kids with the happiness they deserve while going through a tough time.

“I cannot describe how important a simple toy can be to a kiddo in the hospital. Having things available to play with when they’re in the hospital makes it not such a scary thing to be and it helps them cope,” Nimmo said. 

Donations can be made on the Cornerstone website where Amazon, Target and Walmart wish lists are provided to choose from toys to donate. 

For more information and to donate, visit ccfinancial.com/magic.