Hospital stays can be anything but pleasant, especially for a child. Blankets4Zane helps change that, adding color and comfort to children’s days by distributing blankets to children’s hospitals. Luthercare for Kids – Annville has launched its annual blanket drive in support of Blankets4Zane and will be collecting new, store-bought, or handmade blankets to benefit children who are hospitalized. Donations will be accepted through November 11 at the childcare and early learning center at 40 S. King St., Annville. The center hopes to collect 600 blankets this year.
The annual Blankets4Zane drive is in memory of Zane Witmer. Luthercare for Kids – Annville has a special connection to the Witmer family as Zane and his brother attended the center. The Witmer family lost Zane, age 2½, following a drowning accident in Florida in 2017. Today, the Witmer family operates the Zane A. Witmer Memorial Foundation to advocate for water safety, education, and drowning prevention. Each year, as they approach his birthday, they collect and donate blankets to hospitals in Pennsylvania and Florida as a way to celebrate and remember Zane. The blankets carry a heavy significance for the family, as each night he was hospitalized, they snuggled him into bed with a soft, cozy blanket that had been donated by generous and caring people through the Child Life program.
On November 21, what would have been Zane’s 9th birthday, the family will travel back to Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to deliver blankets, and their goal is to deliver 1,121 blankets – Zane’s birthdate.
Blanket donations can be dropped off at the Annville childcare center between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Child Life requires all blankets to be new or unused if handmade. For more information, call the center at 717.867.4660. To learn more about Blankets4zane, visit www.BecauseofZane.org.
About Luthercare:
Founded in 1949, Luthercare, a social ministry organization affiliated with the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of Lutheran Services in America, is a leading provider of independent living, personal care and skilled care residences in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. Luthercare operates Luther Acres, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Lititz, Pa.; Spang Crest, a rehabilitation center, skilled nursing care, and personal care with memory support community in Lebanon, Pa.; and St. John’s Herr Estate, an independent living and personal care community in Columbia, Pa. Additionally, Luthercare operates PA Keystone Stars-accredited childcare and early learning centers in Annville and Reamstown. Luthercare, a pioneer in Childcare Programs, also offers a Mentoring Program, which aids home-based childcare providers in Lancaster County.