More than 25 leaders from HCA Florida Palms West Hospital rolled up their sleeves to cook for, feed and entertain the children of the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington at its recent Back to School Bash.
Officers, vice presidents and directors from throughout the hospital spent the hot summer afternoon engaging the children and readying them for the new school year.
“When they show up, they show up in droves,” Chief Club Operations Officer Steven Cornette said of the Palms West Hospital staff.
The hospital donated and cooked more than 300 hamburgers and hot dogs, along with chips and drinks, and its staff served the children while other hospital leaders joined for play and water activities on the lawn. Each child also received lunch boxes from the hospital to ensure that they had their needed supplies for the school year.
HCA Florida Palms West Hospital CEO Jason Kimbrell, who also serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, spoke to the children to give them encouragement for the new school year.
“I’m here to tell you, don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do,” Kimbrell said.
Kimbrell told the children how he went from being a D student to a CEO. “I was fortunate to have adults who took me under their wing and mentored me, and that’s why we’re here. We are here to support you,” he said.
The hospital has embraced the club as one of its service projects, as HCA Healthcare continues to invest time and financial resources into engagement and volunteer initiatives for the community.
Members of the hospital leadership team previously toured the facility to learn more about the services it offers, and several hospital administrators participated in the club’s career fair hosted earlier in the year.
