“You got to put a lot of cheese on it didn’t you,” said mom Stephanie Calkins to her children Tuesday.
She and her children Henry and Margot are reliving their recent trip to a Queen Creek Costco, one that was anything but ordinary.
The siblings were chosen by Phoenix Children’s as fundraising ambassadors for the hospital's latest charity drive.
“It’s something that they get to do that is associated with Phoenix Children’s, that’s not negative, that’s not scary, that’s fun,” said Calkins.
Seven-year-old Henry was born with a rare autoimmune disease that’s forced him to spend much of his life in and out of the hospital. It's a genetic condition that can cause his own immune system to attack itself.
His sister Margot was recently diagnosed with the same condition.
“Henry’s life has drastically changed since he’s moved to Phoenix Childrens,” explained Calkins.
Specialized medical care provided there has given both of her kids their lives back. But that care isn’t cheap. It costs $2.7 million per day to operate Phoenix Children’s, providing for nearly 270,000 patients each year.
“All those different programs need funding, and it truly makes a difference,” said Calkins.
Last week, Henry and Margot were sent to the Queen Creek Costco with a job to do.
As honorary employees, name tags and all, they checked receipts and processed returns.
The siblings slipped on hairnets and made pizza and decorated cakes, all while urging customers to make a small donation. During the month of May, those donations are matched by Costco, hoping to raise more than a million dollars.
“Henry and Margot were just like jumping around, you could see how excited they were, they were telling them thank you, and telling them what they’ve been through, and why it meant so much,” said Calkins. “A lot of the employees seemed to be really passionate about talking to customers about donating after that.”
It’s clear from the photos that the kids' visit left an incredible impression, giving employees all the motivation they needed to hit their goals and beyond.
For Calkins, the hundreds of paper balloons hanging from the wall representing each donation sent her family and others like it a powerful message from the community.
"That's why we love where we live, they are always here for us," said Calkins. “Get over to your local Costco and donate because you are changing a child's life.”