Phoebe, Kohl’s team to provide new health program

ALBANY, Ga. — Phoebe Network of Trust held a Kohl’s Cares donation kickoff at Albany Middle School on Thursday as part of an effort to teach the importance of healthy lifestyles to the area’s younger population.

The event included a preview of a Kohl’s Cares Middle School Health Fair. As part of the program, Kohl’s Cares donated $10,418 to help support health fairs that provide health screenings and information to eighth-grade students at nine middle schools in Dougherty and Lee counties.

The check was presented to hospital executives at Albany Middle Thursday. Among those present were Network of Trust Director Angie Barber, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Vice President of Women’s and Children’s Services Tracy Morgan and Albany Kohl’s Store Manager Paulette Williams.

“Network of Trust’s eighth-grade health fairs are additional avenues for teaching young people the importance of eating healthy, exercising every day and continually improving their minds and bodies,” said Phoebe CEO Joel Wernick in a news release. “Kohl’s investment is an outstanding example of how business can help improve the health of our communities. And, by leveraging their investment with resources from Phoebe and the school systems, they are increasing the value of their donation. The real beneficiaries are young people in Albany and the surrounding area.

“The health fairs will offer medical screenings and preventative health information that may serve these students for the rest of their lives.”

Since 2011, Kohl’s has donated more than $20,000 to Phoebe, officials with Network of Trust say, for various youth programs. Throughout the year, the Kohl’s Cares merchandise is sold for $5, with 100 percent of the net profit benefiting youth-serving programs and organizations nationwide.

Merchandise sold in Albany directly benefits Phoebe, officials say. New merchandise, such as Dr. Seuss-related goods currently on sale, is introduced four times annually.

On a nationwide scale, the Kohl’s Cares merchandise has produced $208 million for children’s health and education initiatives.