Caring Corner

Caring Corner is a chance to show you care about supporting children in traumatic situations. 100% of funds raised go to the pediatric trauma centers the Capital District Kiwanis Foundation supports.

What started as repurposing gently used items evolved into what today is clubs and individuals competing to create the most popular themed baskets. Your local grocery store, tourism bureau, winery, hardware and jewelry store, etc. are great sources for items for a basket.

The Gift Basket Raffle is held at the annual Capital District Convention (DCON) in August. The Caring Corner room displays all gift baskets. Buy tickets and deposit them into the container or containers you’d like a chance to win. Staff draw winners during the House of Delegates on Saturday afternoon, winners names are posted by the end of the meeting. Baskets must be picked up by the end of DCON. And themes are endless.

The Gift Basket Raffle is held at the annual DCON in August. The Caring Corner room displays all gift baskets. Buy raffle tickets and deposit them into the container or containers for the basket(s) you’d like a chance to win. Staff draw winning tickets during the House of Delegates on Saturday afternoon; winners’ names are posted by the end of the meeting. Baskets must be picked up by the end of DCON.

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How the Caring Corner Came About

Now for the Rest of the Story 

By:  Yvonne Holley, Past Governor 

During my night out at the ballpark with members of Division 15, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and talking with Mathew Taylor.  You may or may not be familiar with the name Mathew Taylor, but he is the grandson of Past Governor Dick Feeser.  The name still doesn’t ring a bell?  Mathew Taylor is the inspiration behind the inception of the Capital District’s Caring Corner.  His grandmother, past First Lady Pat Feeser, organized the Caring Corner as a result of an accident Mathew had at the age of two years. 

During my conversation with Mathew and his grandparents, I was told the story regarding Mathew’s accident twenty years ago when he fell into a bucket of hot water filled with cleaning chemicals.  He was only 2 years old at the time and was walking backward while playing with a pull toy.  He fell and landed in a sitting position in the bucket filled with the hot water and chemicals.  PG Dick and his wife Pat were visiting the Manassas Kiwanis Club when they received the news of their grandson’s accident.  Little Mathew was rushed to Gettysburg Hospital where his parents were told the hospital did not have the facilities to treat chemical burns.  He was then taken to York Hospital where, again, they were informed that the facility was not equipped to treat a child with chemical burns.  Mathew was finally taken to the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington DC where he received the treatment needed and spent two weeks in the center’s intensive care unit. 

Now, twenty-two years old, Mathew said he remembers clowns visiting him in the hospital.  His grandfather informed us that the clowns were Circle K’ers dressed in clown outfits. 

As a result of her grandson’s ordeal, past First Lady Pat established the District’s Caring Corner to raise money to help fund pediatric trauma centers and provide resources for children hospitals to set up pediatric trauma units.  The Caring Corner was established in 1986 during Governor Dick Feeser’s year as Governor of the Capital District. 

Hopefully, this brief but true story will remind you of the importance of supporting the Capital District Kiwanis Foundation.  Contributions made to the Foundation were used to continue to fund and support the District’s seven pediatric trauma centers.  PLEASE help make a difference in the lives of our children by supporting the Caring Corner at the district conventions and your midwinter conferences; as well as direct contributions to the Foundation.