This is the fourth of six articles regarding Heartland Health’s sponsorships of Saint Joseph Mustangs baseball and the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp. The Mustangs’ season started May 26. They played a total of 46 games; 26 here in St. Joe at Phil Welch Stadium and 20 “away games.” Since this campaign began, Heartland has donated nearly 100 fans to our neighbors in need as a result of our Facebook fan page’s “Become a fan, give a fan” call to action. Keep watching This Week at Heartland to see what the final count will be! All fans will be given to InterServ for distribution this summer.
 Heartland is a key sponsor of the Mustangs as well as the Chiefs Summer Training camp because we know how important both are to the vitality of the community. Commercials featuring people who have taken this philosophy to heart will appear during the months of July and August on cable and local television stations. This is the “story behind the story” of Brigid Smith–Read, one of the people featured in the commercial.
In April 2011, as the Pound Plunge, came to an end, Brigid learned she lost 16 pounds. Heartland Health and K–JO 105.5 have teamed up for the past five years to sponsor this 12–week event — a fun way to bring the community together and promote healthy lifestyles. Today, she sports a pair of shorts, short–sleeved T–shirt and ball cap. A bat rests on her shoulder. She is the picture of good health.
Although Brigid had been to Mustangs games in the past, she didn’t know that Heartland was one of the main sponsors and understands the connection to the community and its ongoing vitality. During fiscal year 2010, Heartland employed 3,218 caregivers. The average annual salary for a Heartland caregiver during fiscal year 2010 was $48,050, excluding physicians. Here is how that compares to other areas:
“It’s a nice family outing,” Brigid says of the games. “You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money getting here.” For Brigid, that’s a good thing for this mother of four, including a 12–year–old son who is crazy about baseball. “They also like the fireworks,” she says with a smile. |
