Beebe Healthcare Collects More Than 100 Bikes for Toys for Tots in Memory of Team Member
More than 100 bikes were wheeled out of the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus on Tuesday as Beebe Healthcare’s Toys for Tots donation drive ended.
Numerous departments came together to donate 118 bikes in honor of Jerry Whitcomb, who passed away in October. Jerry joined Beebe’s facilities team in September 1998 and was more known for his infectious friendliness and willingness to say hello to anyone he saw in the halls. The joy he shared transpired outside of Beebe, too. Each year he would donate a bike to Toys for Tots.
“The donation of 118 bikes in honor and memory of Jerry Whitcomb shows both the love Jerry’s team members had for him and the true generosity of Team Beebe at this time of the year, said Rick Schaffner, RN, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Office, Beebe Healthcare. “I know that Jerry is looking down and smiling at this incredible outpouring in his memory. Thank you, Team Beebe!”
Helping load the bikes onto trailers early that morning was Jeffrey Whitcomb, Jerry’s son, who recently joined Team Beebe.
“I was at a loss for words when I saw all of the bikes,” said Jeffrey. “It’s a true blessing to start something like this and turn it into such a big donation for children who might not have a Christmas. The reason why my dad always donated a bike for Toys for Tots is because he always said kids should always wake up with something underneath a Christmas tree.”
David A. Tam, MD, MBA, CPHE, FACHE, President & CEO, Beebe Healthcare, stopped by to congratulate the team for their efforts and to share in the joy of giving to such a good cause in memory of such a good man.
“This is an amazing reflection of Beebe Values,” Dr. Tam said. “Think of the first time you received a bike as a child – that joy. Today, we can say that 118 children will experience that feeling. That’s what Beebe Healthcare is all about. It’s about taking care of the community in every way we can.”