Boot Scootin'
Community Partner Spotlight: Visionaries
Patients, staff, donors and community members do-si-doed at the Visionaries’ Boots & Bandanas event on May 20th to help raise funds for a second specialized pediatric ambulance for McLane Children’s.
Little Brother
As the only pediatric Level II Trauma Center between Dallas and Austin, McLane Children’s accepts many patients from other area hospitals. The McLane Children’s transport team cares for these children transferring from one facility to another. However, with a service area of more than 30,000 square-miles and more than 100 requests per month, the team is stretched thin.
Nicknamed “Little Brother,” the additional ambulance will help the McLane Children’s transport team serve more patients throughout Central Texas. It joins a family of dedicated transport vehicles, including a helicopter, each specially equipped to care for children. The second, smaller ambulance is intended to operate within a smaller service area around the hospital, while the larger vehicle will be sent on longer runs.
Boots & Bandanas
The Visionaries host the biennial Boots & Bandanas event to help fund essential equipment, like the additional ambulance, for McLane Children’s. In 2015, the group raised enough funds to purchase two pediatric dialysis machines, which helped launch the dialysis program at McLane Children’s. To date, the Visionaries have raised more than $1 million. “The needs of the children in our community continue to be great, and we’re committed to serving them in their most critical hour of need,” says Betty Thrasher, chair for the Visionaries.
At this year’s Boots & Bandanas event, more than 800 guests enjoyed performances by the Bellamy Brothers and John Conlee, live and silent auctions, great food and a busy dance floor—all of which contributed to a record-breaking fundraising event.
“We, as a children’s hospital, wouldn’t survive without philanthropic support like this,” says Ellen Hansen, chief nursing officer and chief operations officer for McLane Children’s. “More than half of our patients are on Medicaid, which doesn’t cover some costs, so we rely on our supporters to help us buy the equipment and supplies we need.”