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K-C Consumer Group and K-C Health Care plan special event featuring Kleenex NASCAR racecar and loads of gifts
This past May, employees from the K-C Consumer Group and K-C Health Care teamed up to create two very special days for hospital-bound children in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 The Kleenex NASCAR racecar visited Charlotte, North Carolina’s Levine’s Children’s Hospital on May 20 and Presbyterian’s Hemby Children’s Hospital on May 22.
A group of friends from across these two K-C businesses came up with the idea to conduct a special event to cheer up children in two area hospitals – Levine Children’s Hospital and Hemby Children’s Hospital – and create a diversion from the medical issues they were facing.
They invited the No. 27 Kleenex-sponsored NASCAR racecar to make an appearance at both hospitals the week before Memorial Day weekend. The event served as a kick-off for the Memorial Day NASCAR race scheduled to be held in Charlotte. The car’s driver, Jason Keller, came and visited with children at both hospitals and signed autographs. Those who were able went down to the parking lot to see the car and meet Keller. But for the many children who were too ill to go, Keller visited each one of them in their rooms.
 Gift bags were prepared for the hospitals’ pediatric patients by Tina-Maria Driggers, Kim Shipp, Ken Maddie and other members of the Customer Development Southern Region Team.
“It began pretty simply,” said Kim Shipp, an account executive for K-C Health Care Sales who helped organize these events. “Both local children’s hospitals liked the idea, but of course in K-C fashion, it didn’t stop with just the car and No. 27 K-C driver Jason Keller.”
Tina-Maria Driggers, Customer Marketing assistant at K-C’s Charlotte, North Carolina, sales office, obtained 300 Kleenex car backpacks to be given to all of the children at the events. K-C volunteers loaded them with goodies for the kids, including Cottonelle brand puppies, stuffed bears, T-shirts, toy race cars and coloring books. Kimberly-Clark products were also included, such as Kleenex Pocket Pack facial tissues, Cottonelle Fresh Wipes, Scott Shop Towels, and coupons for a variety of products. Jason Keller handed out the backpacks to the kids when he visited the hospitals.
 Representatives from Kimberly-Clark and Harris Teeter presented this check to Presbyterian’s Hemby Children’s Hospital. Participating, from left to right, were Pat Campbell, director or Women and Children’s Services, Presbyterian Hospital; Tina-Maria Driggers, Kimberly-Clark Customer Development, Southern Region; Travis Hubbard, director, Frozen & Dairy, Harris Teeter; Suzanne Callahan-Bill, Kimberly-Clark Customer Development – Harris Teeter Team; a patient representing the children of Presbyterian’s Hemby Children’s Hospital; Kim Shipp, Kimberly-Clark Health Care; Jennifer Thompson, Public Relations, Harris Teeter; Ken Maddie, regional director, Kimberly-Clark Customer Development, Southern Region; Amy Vance, chief operating officer, Presbyterian Health.
Finally, the K-C team invited a local K-C customer Harris Teeter food market to participate in the benefit. Harris Teeter committed to donate 10 cents to the participating hospitals for every Kimberly-Clark product sold in their stores over the two-week period preceding the events, up to $10,000. On the day of the events, HarrisTeeter presented a check for $5,000 to each hospital.
“The best part was enriching the lives of these children, their wonderful families and the hospital staff who care for them,” said Driggers, who also helped coordinate the events. “We had fun working together, but what’s most important for me is giving back to our community and helping others.”
The program was so successful that they are already making plans to repeat it next year.
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