Category: Site News

Submit Your 2026 Volunteer of the Year Nomination!

by Andrew Nash

The Log A Load For Kids Foundation is seeking nominations for our 2026 Volunteer Champion of the Year. We want to know who your state’s deserving candidate is and why they deserve recognition! Please complete the nomination form (available here) and return it with your nomination to Sherri Hansen or Andrew Nash no later than July 1, 2026.

The award winner will be notified by August 1, 2026, and be invited to the American Loggers Council Annual Meeting this September 30th, in Williamsburg, Virginia. The winner will be recognized for their commitment and outstanding service to Log A Load For Kids and their local children’s hospital.

Celebrating Our Success: Log A Load For Kids Receives CMN Collaboration Award

by Andrew Nash

We are thrilled to share some incredible news with our Log A Load community! At the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) annual “Elevate” meeting held in Orlando from April 13-15, Log A Load For Kids was honored with CMN’s Collaboration Award.

The award was presented during a special ceremony on Tuesday, April 14, and was accepted by David Livingston, Vice President of the Log A Load For Kids Foundation.

What This Award Means

The Collaboration Award is a testament to the unique spirit of our foundation. It recognizes Children’s Miracle Network partners who bring people together across different roles, organizations, and communities to advance the mission of helping sick and injured children.

As the presenters noted during the ceremony, Log A Load For Kids has built a model that mobilizes our entire industry. From independent loggers and family businesses to the large timber and paper product companies, this award belongs to everyone across the supply chain who participates in Log A Load For Kids.

Why Log A Load Was Selected

CMN highlighted several key reasons why our foundation stood out this year:

  • Grassroots Impact: Our success is driven by local volunteer foresters and supported by state forestry associations and national trade groups.
  • A Culture of Giving: Beyond the dollars raised, we have successfully built a “culture of giving” within the timber industry, where supporting local hospitals is a point of pride.
  • Tangible Results: Since 1988, our collective efforts have raised over $70 million to fund critical needs like mobile NICU units and life-saving equipment for children’s hospitals nationwide.

A Message of Thanks

This award isn’t just for the foundation; it’s for every logger, trucker, forester, and volunteer who has donated a load of logs, raised a paddle at an auction, or given your time and energy to support your local children’s hospital. It’s proof that when we work together, we don’t just move the industry forward—we change lives.

Thank you to all our volunteers, donors, and partners for making this possible!

Spring Clay Shoot Fundraisers Set to Benefit Log A Load For Kids

by Andrew Nash
A group of participants making a check presentation at Klays For Kids 2025
Klays For Kids 2025 – Georgetown, SC

Log A Load For Kids is proud to announce three upcoming clay shoot fundraisers this spring, offering a fun day outdoors while raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network. Whether you’re an experienced shooter or new to the sport, these events are a great opportunity to connect with others in the forestry and outdoor industries while making a meaningful impact in your community.

These clay shoots are always a highlight of the season—bringing together industry partners, friends, and families for some friendly competition and an even greater purpose. Bring your team, bring your enthusiasm, and help Log A Load For Kids continue its mission of making a difference for all kids!

2026 Spring Clay Shoot Dates & Locations

  • March 14 – Society Hill, South Carolina
  • March 20 – Victoria, Virginia
  • April 18 – Georgetown, South Carolina

Each event will feature a morning of sporting clays at a premier shooting range, followed by lunch, raffles, and awards. Participants can register as individuals or teams, with proceeds directly supporting life-saving care for pediatric patients in partner hospitals across the region.

Registration details, sponsorship options, and event flyers can be found on our upcoming events page.

Have an event you’d like to feature on the website? Email logaloadforkids@cmn.org

Miracle II Ambulance, Funded by Log A Load, Hits the Road in Maine

by Andrew Nash
The headline from WABI TV in Bangor, Maine

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine launched the Miracle II ambulance earlier this year. The ambulance serves as a mobile NICU, transporting Maine’s tiniest babies from regional hospitals across the state to receive specialized care.

The project was funded by donations from Northern Light EMMC Auxiliary, Professional Logging Contractors Northeast, Log A Load For Kids, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the community.

Visit WABI’s website to see the Miracle II featured on the nightly news and learn more about your donations in action.

Loggers Helping Children

by Andrew Nash

Loggers frequently give back, especially to the Log – a – Load for Kids Foundation, designed around a challenge for loggers to donate the value of one load of logs to the Children’s Miracle Hospitals Network, and have raised millions of dollars to help youth with medical needs which families cannot afford. Six local loggers that are now the “magnificent six” include Joshua Amos, Scotty Bottoms, Hunter Clary, Palmer Dugger, Paul Scott, and Adam Wilbourne because they planned and executed a Sporting Clay Tournament and Banquet at Arrowhead Gun Club in Lunenburg County to raise money for the King’s Daughters, UVA, & VCU Children’s Miracle Hospitals.

Fifty-two teams registered for the fun shooting event and over 250 people, along with over 75 sponsors attended/supported the shooting events, the banquet, and the auction to raise money for children. The LAL State Coordinator Nikki Robertson, Virginia Loggers Association members, and many volunteers helped too. The event was the most successful in Virginia history with the loggers raising a gross of $130,000 with about $110,000 going to the hospitals. Palmer Dugger, speaking on behalf of the “magnificent six” said, “we just wanted to have an event in Southern Virginia that we would be able to attend and to try to do more for Log-a-Load for Kids! We never dreamed we would make more than $100,000 to be donated to Children’s Miracle Hospitals! Working with this group of loggers was a real honor! Watching all the people coming together and supporting this was an amazing thing! Hopefully people will start to realize that loggers are good people and care about more than just making a dollar.”

Kate Ryan joined the great event as the official Philanthropy Officer of the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, one of two recipients for the proceeds. Kate was very impressed with the success of the event and said, “Thank you to the Virginia Loggers Association for their generous support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through the first annual Sporting Clay Tournament at Arrowhead Gun Club! Funds raised will help Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, purchase a Butterfly iQ3 for our transport – a handheld ultrasound probe that connects to any iPhone or iPad, allowing practitioners to perform real-time imaging in the field. We are so grateful to all the volunteers, sponsors and attendees that helped to make this event such a success.”

During the dinner, Delegate Tommy Wright (R-Victoria) who represents House District 50 presented commendations from the Virginia House of Delegates to the six sponsors of the Sporting Clay Tournament and Banquet at Arrowhead Gun Club in Lunenburg County. Delegate Wright thanked everyone associated with the fundraising event for their hard work and was pleased with the success of the fundraiser.

Delegate Wright said “I’m proud to commend these six dedicated loggers for their incredible work in hosting the Log a Load for Kids event in Lunenburg County. Their generosity and commitment to helping children battling illnesses is truly inspiring. It’s a great honor to have such a meaningful and compassionate event take place right here in Southside Virginia and I thank them for making a real difference in the lives of families across our Commonwealth.”

We are so proud of the group and sponsors who gave back to make a difference for children!

Thank you, Log A Load!

by Andrew Nash

We would like to thank all of our state Log A Load For Kids sponsors and vendors and all of our dedicated volunteers for a Fantastic 2023 fundraising year. The total raised in 2023 from 28 states supporting over 72 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) was over $5.0 million dollars. We are extremely excited with the donation totals and are looking forward to another successful fundraising year in 2024.

Your donations are needed and appreciated to help sick and injured children! Each of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, are all nonprofit hospitals, relies on partners like Log A Load For Kids Foundation to keep the doors open to be able to create miracles for sick and injured kids in our communities. By donating or helping with fundraisers you are helping your own neighbors, family members, and friends of your communities.

American Loggers Council is our national sponsor for Log A Load For Kids. We are so thrilled to be part of the American Loggers Council family.  Thank you to Scott Dane, Executive Director and the Board of Director’s of American Loggers Council for all of your support for all the Log A Load For Kids programs in over 28 states, we look forward to growing the Log A Load For Kids in each state to fund our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for sick and injured children.

We would like to have all of the states email to us your State chapters and contact information for each chapter/group in your state. Email to: nationallogaloadforkids@gmail.com OR anash@cmnhospitals.org

We would love to have everyone send their events that will be coming up, so we can add to the LAL calendar and would also like pictures of your events.

The upcoming Children’s Miracle Network Hospital’s week is coming up April 8-11, 2024, at Walt Disney’s Dolphin Resort in Orlando Florida. This is a momentous week to come and experience what CMNH has done and continues to do to help Hospitals and Corporate Partners to raise funds. You will also get to hear and meet some of the families that have been helped by a CMNH. This experience is heartwarming and worthy of your time. A few of our Board members will be in attendance and look forward to seeing you there. For more information, click here.

The American Loggers Council will be holding their annual meeting in October in Sonora, California in 2024. American Loggers Council will be hosting an evening with dinner and fundraising auction for Log A Load For Kids which will benefit a local California CMNH Hospital.

Our National Log A Load For Kids would like to thank all of you for all you do for sick and injured Children. We look forward to hearing from all of you and wish all of you a remarkably successful fundraising 2024!

President/Director: Sherri Hansen – Washington State

Vice President: Niki Stenner – South Carolina

Secretary: Lisa Medici – California

Treasurer: Melinda Fraley – Washington State

Board Member: Rich Palermo – Virginia

Board Member: David Livingston – Mississippi

Board Member: Cindy Lussier – South Carolina

Board Member: Joan Nichols – Connecticut

CMNH Representative: Andrew Nash

A WORD FROM THE LOG A LOAD FOR KIDS FOUNDATION, INC BOARD

by Andrew Nash

Happy 35th Anniversary, Log A Load For Kids!

We would like to thank all of our state Log A Load For Kids sponsors and vendors and all of our dedicated volunteers for a GREAT 2022 fundraising year. Total raised in 2022 from 30 states supporting over 70 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) was over $3.6 million dollars. We are very thrilled with the donation totals and are looking forward to another successful fundraising year.

Your donations are greatly needed and appreciated! Each of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, are all nonprofit hospitals, relies on partners like Log A Load For Kids Foundation to keep the doors open to be able to create miracles for sick and injured kids in our communities. By donating or helping with fundraisers you are helping your own neighbors, family members, and friends of your communities.

This past year the American Loggers Council voted to be the national sponsor for Log A Load For Kids. We are so thrilled to be part of the American Loggers Council family. Thank you to Scott Dane, Executive Director and the Board of Director’s of American Loggers Council for all of your support for all the Log A Load For Kids programs in over 30 states, we look forward to growing the Log A Load For Kids in each state to fund our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for sick and injured children.

We would like to have all of the states email to us your State chapters and contact information for each chapter/group in your state. We would love to have everyone send their events that will be coming up, so we can add to the LAL calendar and would also like pictures of your events.
Email to: nationallogaloadforkids@gmail.com OR anash@cmnhospitals.org

The upcoming Children’s Hospitals Week is coming up April 4-7, 2023, at Marriott World Center in Orlando Florida. This is a great week to come and experience what CMNH has done and continues to do to help Hospitals and Corporate Partners to raise funds. You will also get to hear and meet some of the families that have been helped by a CMNH. This experience is heartwarming and worthy of your time. A few of our Board members will be in attendance and look forward to seeing you there.

The American Loggers Council will be holding their annual meeting October 3-7, 2023, in Newry, Maine at the Sunday River Ski Resort. American Loggers Council will be hosting an evening with dinner and fundraising auction for Log A Load For Kids which will benefit a local Maine CMNH Hospital.

We look forward to hearing from all of you and wish all of you a very successful fundraising 2023.
President/Director: Sherri Hansen — Washington State
Vice President: Niki Stenner —South Carolina
Secretary: Lisa Medici — California
Treasurer: Melinda Fraley— Washington State
Board Member: Rich Palermo — Virginia
CMNH Partner Representative: Andrew Nash — anash@cmnhospitals.org

The American Loggers Council raises amazing funds at the September meeting!

by Cody Brown

We have exciting news to share!  The American Loggers Council (ALC) met in September and selected Children’s Hospital of Alabama to be the beneficiary of their auction event. The two main items that were auctioned off: a Keith Urban guitar, and a Stihl Chainsaw. The guitar sold for an amazing $3,750 and the chainsaw (which was sold once then donated back to be sold again) went for $5,400. In addition to the guitar and chainsaw, cash donations were given as members of the ALC came in/out of the event. I’m thrilled to inform you that a grand total of $10,200 was raised for your hospital!!! It was a great event and probably the most successful one we’ve been a part of through the ALC.

 

Log A Load FRA Update Letter

by Cody Brown

 

 

July 29, 2019

Dear Log A Load For Kids Advisory Committee:
Over the last few months Deb Hawkinson, Forest Resources Association (FRA) and Lee Anne Fitzgerald, Log A Load (LAL) Chair, have been in discussions about the Log A Load For Kids Foundation operating as a 501©3 without the administrative support of FRA.
LAL has strengthened its brand across the country over the years, and there is an interest to have the foundation expand its financial support and engagement to other forestry groups. This includes broader support of donations at the business level to support national projects that serve to promote and heighten the awareness of state LAL efforts.
FRA has served as the administrator of LAL for 26 years, and this role has evolved over time. FRA originally became involved to help spread LAL’s philanthropic efforts that began in South Carolina to across the country. This mission has been accomplished as we have all watched LAL become a successful foundation supporting Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospitals nationwide.
LAL Board Members Sherri Hansen, Rich Palermo and Lisa Medici have been involved in conversations about the future vision of Log A Load, and LAL leadership agrees with the expansion of national support as it looks to strengthen its outreach.
Log a Load for Kids is a top 15 corporate sponsor at Children’s Miracle Network and the only grass-roots campaign of its kind! The organization is standing tall against Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco, ACE, Panda Express, Delta, Marriott and more. Its growth into 28+ states is too much for the chair to cover solely. There have been talks of adding regional national directors to assist with attending all the logging industries conferences and support regional activities as needed.
LAL would like the ability to solicit corporate sponsors to help underwrite travel expenses. Currently, LAL relies heavily on CMNH to pay for the annual meeting in Orlando, purchase promotional items, and most recently manage the website and promotion on social media. While attending CMN Hospital week in Orlando is exciting, a dedicated time for yearly planning would be ideal. This time could be in conjunction with one of the many logging conferences or state forestry associations. The goal would be to exchange corporate underwriting for advertisement on LAL webpage and newsletters.
Lastly, is the wish to reorganize the group for success. LAL current advisory board needs to be updated to make sure all states are included. In addition, setup a National Board of Directors, Regional Directors and an
Advisory Committee. There are a lot of talented folks in the LAL group and together the organization can continue to grow.

LAL wishes to thank FRA for their tremendous support for 26 years! LAL would not be where it is today if FRA had not gotten involved.

The next step is to ensure a smooth transition moving forward to ensure the future strength of LAL. Please let either Deb or Lee Anne know if you have questions or would like additional details.

 

 

 

Volunteer of the Year 2019 – Jay Wolfe

by Cody Brown

Jay Wolfe was recently awarded the ‘Volunteer Of The Year’ at the 2019 Forest Resources Association (FRA) Annual Convention.

Jay also received recognition for this award during Children’s Hospitals Week, an Annual Event held by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.  Jay’s selfless hours serving his local hospital, church and overall community are a big part of why he was nominated.  Jay has a special place in his heart  for children and their overall care and wellness.  His efforts and generosity embody what Log A Load for kids is all about.