JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ace Hardware locations across the First Coast have teamed up to donate a yard makeover to five deserving locations.
Five teams arrived Tuesday morning at two Angelwood group homes and three homes of families being helped by the Children's Miracle Network to give the yards a facelift -- planting flowers, weeding and freshening up the greenspaces.
News4Jax meteorologists Rebecca Barry and Jonathan Stacey were at two different Angelwood group homes along with teams from local Ace hardware stores to help with the yard makeovers.
River City Live's Eden Kendall and Mark Payton and News4Jax meteorologist Mark Collins were each at different homes of families being helped by the Children's Miracle Network to help with yard maintenance and makeovers.
Ace Hardware has been a long-standing supporter of the local Children's Miracle Network, running several campaigns a year to raise money for the hospital, from their popular bucket days where a purchase for Children's Miracle Network offers a discount on some items you can put in the bucket to the round-up campaign, offering customers a chance to round up to the nearest dollar on their purchase, with the extra change benefiting the CMN.
One of their roundup campaigns just ended, and for the month of April, local Ace Hardware stores raised over $40,000 for the Children's Miracle Network. Jacob Hagan of Hagan Ace Hardware says that last year the group raised over $200,000 through various campaigns for the CMN.
According to the Children's Miracle Network website, they are dedicated to improving the health and welfare of all children by raising funds and awareness for the pediatric programs of UF Health Jacksonville and Wolfson Children's Hospital.
WATCH: Rebecca catches up with CMN and ACE |
Jonathan visits an Angelwood home
A founding principle of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is that all funds raised stay local. Therefore, everything raised in the Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia area is used to purchase medical equipment, child life activities and educational resources for the pediatric programs of UF Health Jacksonville and Wolfson Children's Hospital.
Angelwood of Jacksonville's website explains that since 1993, Angelwood has been serving children, adults, seniors and families living with intellectual and developmental differences such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and spina bifida.
WATCH: Eden Kendall's team builds raised garden bed |
Mark Payton highlights a deserving family
Dignity and respect are the charity's hallmarks as they offer services across the greater Jacksonville community.
Over the years, Angelwood services have been developed in response to community needs.
Angelwood provides support to more than 300 individuals and their families through the following services:
- Residential Group Homes
- Respite Services
- Behavior Services
- Summer Day Camp
- Adult Day Training Program
- Supported Employment
- Holiday Kids Camps