Gift Brightens Holidays for 2,000 Children

Greenrbier Resort and Paws2Care Partner with Inova to distribute books and toys

Falls Church, Virginia – (December 20, 2012) – Each year, while children around the world are bounding to the Christmas tree to discover what Santa left behind, there are children who wonder if Saint Nick was able to find them in their hospital room. No matter the cause, be it heart surgery or the flu, there are thousands of children who will spend Christmas morning in a hospital bed. Thanks to the Greenbrier and Paws2Care, the holidays promise to be a bit brighter for children who wake up at Inova hospitals. The two organizations have partnered to give 2,000 copies of Beamer Visits the Emergency Room, the first book in the Beamer Book Series™,  to Inova to pass along to children who spend their holiday in the hospital. The children will also receive stuffed Beamer dogs, all thanks to a generous $50, 000 donation made by the Greenbrier Resort.

The donation is part of the Greenbrier Resort’s Dream Tree efforts, which had a 2012 goal of giving more than $1 million in holiday gifts to children in need.

“Last year’s Dream Tree was such an amazing success that we knew we had to do it even bigger and better this year,” said Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier. “We believe that giving back to our community goes to the core of what The Greenbrier represents and is in keeping with our rich history.”

The book, written by Cindy Chambers, was written with the goal of making visiting the hospital a little less scary. In Beamer Visits The Emergency Room, Beamer meets some very kind professionals on his visit to the emergency room, including Dr. Poochio, who becomes his mentor and friend.  In real life, at Inova Loudoun Hospital Dr. Edward Puccio is the medical director of the Emergency Department and Beamer is a therapy dog who often visits children in Inova hospitals.

Net proceeds from the sale of Beamer Book Series™ go the Inova Health Foundation and other charities.

Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for 100 years, is part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Visit us on the web at www.inova.org/ilh. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InovaLoudounHospital.

The Beamer Book Series™ was created by Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation board member Cindy Chambers to bring happiness to children facing challenging life events, while introducing them to some of the wonderful people who help us along the way. In the series, a gentle therapy dog named Beamer tells stories of his own experiences that mirror those of a child growing up. Net proceeds from the sale of the Beamer Book Series™ go to Inova Loudoun Hospital, part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia, and other charities.  Families can enjoy a visit with Beamer and his friends at www.tellmetown.com.