Join Scouting’s Effort to Support Vermont Children’s Hospital

During time this year, thousands of volunteers work alongside staff from Fletcher Allen Hospital, WOKO 98.9, and Walmart, to collect spare change as part of the Big Change Roundup to support Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington. Money raised during the drive is used to support programs and services at our local Vermont Children’s Hospital to make a child’s stay as comfortable as possible and to ease the impact the hospitalization has on the child and their family.

In 2008, our Pack took part in the Big Change Roundup and I can tell you it has had a profound effect on our unit and the individual Scouts and families that have taken part in the effort. We felt strongly that a program of “kids helping kids” was something we wanted to implement and promote, especially since it was our own children’s hospital and we knew the money was going to benefit our local kids.

We started modestly by signing up to be “change bandits” and collecting loose change and other donations from friends, neighbors, and family. We also made canisters and placed them inside stores in our local community and partnered with Shaw’s Supermarket to accept donations from customers as they exited the store. We enlisted the help of seven other Scouting units in our District and through our combined efforts, raised over $4,500 for the hospital.

In 2009, we expanded our collection base and partnered with Jolley’s in Jericho to have our boys work inside their store accepting donations from customers on four different Saturday mornings. We continued our partnership with Shaw’s and enlisted the help of nine other Scout units from within our District, many of whom expanded their collection efforts within stores in their local communities. Collectively, our units raised over $7,200 for the cause, almost 5% of the overall collection.

In 2010, we have similar collection goals but are striving to have 20 units registered throughout the State. Here’s how you can help…

Register your Scouting unit at www.bigchangeroundup.org and sign up as a “posse” to collect money as a group. This is a great way to market your unit to all those visiting this website and to see how your efforts compare with other Scouting units in the area. Online donations can be collected on your own “posse” webpage at this same address.
Join an existing Scouting “posse” and collect money to benefit that Scouting unit’s effort. A list of existing posses can be found at the above website. I recommend joining the Cub Scout Pack 620 posse.
Register yourself as an individual “change bandit” and collect money on your own.
Once registered, consider signing up your scouts to collect money from a local store in your town. Increase your visibility in a way that benefits the Children’s Hospital.

The staff at WOKO 98.9 and Fletcher Allen have overwhelmingly embraced Scouting’s involvement in this cause and continue to promote our coordinated effort as a model for how local groups can help support our children’s hospital. Of all of the thousands of volunteers, they have chosen to use a single photo in their brochure showing two Cub Scouts from our unit, collecting loose change at Jolley’s. In each of the past two years, WOKO 98.9 has also conducted live remotes at locations where Scouts are collecting change.

I believe that we have helped make a difference and hope you will consider joining us to make a greater impact this year. In 2009, the Big Change Roundup collected over $153,000 in donations. Their goal for 2010 is $200,000. Please consider joining us this year and support our local children’s hospital.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions of other ways Scouting can help with this cause, please feel free to contact me at [Click for member's page].

David Sem, Cubmaster

Pack 620 Jericho/Underhill