Energy Center employees at Ameren Missouri power a toy delivery to bring cheer to sick and injured children at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center

ST LOUIS (Dec. 20, 2013) – Every day workers at Ameren Missouri’s Labadie Energy Center in Franklin County produce the energy that helps power life-saving treatment at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. Today, and just in time for the holidays, those same workers delivered something else: a truckload of toys for sick and injured children.

Over the last 17 years, Ameren employees at Labadie have raised more than $180,000 to purchase gifts for children at the hospital. That support continued today as employees delivered $15,500 worth of toys to the patients, led by John Berg, certified repairman at Labadie Energy Center of Ameren Missouri.

The hospital’s mascot, Rally Squirrel, rolled in on a powered sled to deliver the toys with Berg, Ameren Services Executive Vice President of Corporate Oversight, Chuck Naslund, 6-year-old kidney patient Eddie Unger and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andy Benes.  

“It is a true blessing for us to have a community leader like Ameren step up and share the magic and joy of Christmas with our patients,” said Sherlyn Hailstone, president of SSM Cardinal Glennon. “Each year when they light up the medical center they brighten the lives of children during the holidays. Bringing the toys in on top of that proves their commitment to our mission, and really makes us feel like they are a part of our family.”

The toys, games, crafts, books, dolls and cars will be divided and sorted for distribution to patients who are hospitalized during the holidays and throughout the year.

 

“We get excited watching the kids’ faces light up as we’re delivering the toys,” said Berg. “We want to make sure they experience Christmas, just like everyone else – that’s why we do this.”