Money to benefit Children’s Hospital in Birmingham
Energizer Lighting Products shined the light on children today through a $25,000 donation to the Children’s Miracle Network that will benefit the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. The donation was made as a tribute to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour anglers who collectively maintained a 98-percent live-release rate throughout the tournament season, which ended today at the 2004 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol. The championship took place on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake.
Since 2001, Energizer has offered this incentive to FLW Tour anglers to encourage conservation measures throughout the tournament season. Energizer has donated a total of $100,000 over the past four years to branches of the Children’s Miracle Network located in or near the communities where the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship was held.
“We see this donation as a triple win,” said Dan Stuckey, general manager, Global Lighting Products for Energizer Battery Company. “It issues a challenge to anglers to preserve our natural resources; it keeps our lakes alive and well-stocked; and most importantly, it helps children in need.”
Tracy Pharo, manager of community development for Children’s Hospital, accepted the check and was accompanied by a local family whose child has benefited from past donations to the hospital. Each year more than 17 million children in North America receive medical treatment thanks to the 170 Children’s Hospitals in the United States and Canada that are members of Children’s Miracle Network.
“It is great that Energizer Lighting Products has found a way to recognize the importance of conservation while allowing it to benefit the local Children’s Miracle Network member hospital,” said Charlie Hoover, president and chief executive officer of FLW Outdoors. “Our livelihood is dependent on the conservation of our natural resources, and we are very proud of the effort put forward by our anglers throughout the years for us to consistently have such high live-release rates.”
This year’s donation will help fund the Children’s Hospital’s advocacy initiatives as well as research and fund unfunded and underfunded care the hospital provides to patients in need.
“We are so grateful to FLW Outdoors and Energizer for this donation to Children’s Hospital,” Pharo said. “This is a very significant corporate gift for us, and we are very excited about what we will be able to do with the donation.”
FLW Outdoors is the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
By: Bill Petrowiak, FLW Outdoors
