The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Petersen Health Care has been involved and associated with St. Jude Midwest Affiliate since 2002. Petersen Health Care owns over 90 assisted living, supportive living, independent living, and skilled nursing facilities.
Through out the years the facilities have planned events that support St. Jude's Midwest Affiliate. At our yearly Christmas Banquet the amount raised for the year is presented to St. Jude's. Petersen Health Care hands out many awards throughout the day but one of the top awards and the most honorable is the Community Event of the year.
All 90+ facilities compete for this award and we have some of the most fun for a worthy cause. Every year La Harpe Davier holds their Wreath Auction in honor of St. Jude. Over the past years Petersen Health Care has raised over $500,000.00. In the year of 2012 a special foundation, Chloe's Promise was formed in the name of the owners daughter, Chloe Petersen. Chloe is a survivor and benefited from the incredible services at with St. Jude Midwest Affiliate
As an annual fundraising event and way to give back to the community our facility has held a Wreath Auction for several years in November. We, the facility, purchase wreaths and distribute them to businesses and individuals in the community to decorate and return to the facility to be auctioned off. All money raised from the auction is donated to St. Jude's Children's hospital in Peoria. This year at the Petersen Health Care Christmas Banquet held on December 5, 2013 we were presented with this year's Community Event of the Year Award along with 7 other awards. The worthy community event was the Wreath Auction held for Mikhaila Palmer.
Last year November 2012 this event took a major swing and became more than just an event for St. Jude. It became an out pouring of generosity and kindness to a young girl in our community. Mikhaila Palmer, a 12 year old volunteer at our facility and a life long resident of the La Harpe community was diagnosed with Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the adrenal gland.
Instead of just helping St. Jude's our facility decided we should also do everything we could to help this young volunteer and her family through this difficult time.
You see, Mikhaila was not the only member of her family that has volunteered at our facility. Mikhaila's grandmother Virginia, her aunt Holly and her great aunt Brenda have all, at sometime, pitched in at our facility visiting and entertaining our residents. They are all a part of our family here at La Harpe Davier.
November 15, 2012 we held what would turn out to be a huge community event beyond our wildest imagination. Members of the community, businesses and employee's of the facility made and donated 70 plus wreaths. We could not have asked for a better turn out for the evening.
Residents, family members and community members filled our Day/Dining room for a wonderful meal, prepared by our dietary staff, and the main event ,The Auction. At the conclusion of the evening we had auctioned off every wreath and raised over $4000 for St. Jude and the Mikhaila Palmer family.
This event could not have been so successful without the outstanding team effort of each one of our dedicated employees and our outstanding volunteers.
The following letter was written by Virginia Palmer:
"I am so Thankful for La Harpe Davier Health Care Center. It is providing a safe haven for those that are no longer able to remain in their homes and also gives wonderful support to the residents families.
"The staff truly has a great love and compassion for the residents and are doing everything they can to ensure that each individuals needs are met and their time spent at La harpe Davier is one that offers them the peace and comfort that is so often greatly needed.
"The love and support that La Harpe Davier has for it's residents have now began to spill over into our community.
"What a blessing it has been to see them reach out to meet the needs of local families.
"My family and the Ragin family has been a recipient of this wonderful act of kindness through their annual Wreath Auction.
"The monetary gift was so greatly appreciated, but even greater than that is the gift of love and support that came from the staff at La Harpe Davier and the community.
"What a blessing it is to live in a community where we can see God's commands being fulfilled.
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Our attitude should be the same as that as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2: 4 & 5.
Such has been the acts of La Harpe Davie Health Care Center.