With less than two weeks left until Christmas, we are all scrambling around searching for the perfect gifts for our loved ones, planning holiday dinners and fun events to do with our family and friends. However, what if your holiday plans were setting up a Christmas tree inside your child's hospital room and just praying that one day they would be able to have a traditional Christmas?

At Scotty's Brewhouse, we pray for this too. We may not be able to provide them with the cure they need, however, we hope they wake up with that sparkle in their eye, knowing that Santa made a special trip just for them. From mid November until December 9, 2011 all Scotty's restaurants, including Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co, Scotty's Lakehouse, Scotty's Burger Joint and Scotty's Brewhouse locations collected new, unwrapped toys for the children staying at Riley Hospital for Children. Our goal is to reassure these children that there is hope and to keep on fighting.

"We started making our trip to Riley about 5 years ago. I wanted to actually deliver toys to children that could use a smile or hug or Buzz Lightyear to cheer up a pretty awful time to be laid up in a hospital bed for a child," said Scott Wise, a Pots & Pans Production CEO.

We want to thank every single customer for their donation to these amazing children. Come Christmas morning, when you are opening gifts with your family, just know that at that same time a child is smiling because of the gift that you gave. "Our guests are the ones that deserve a lot of credit, as they are the ones that donate all the toys the month leading up to us delivering.  I wish I could share the smiles from the children AND the parents, grandparents and others in the room with all our guests that donate.  If you would have heard the 3 year old girls yell, 'Baaaaaaaarbie' yesterday, you too would have had a tear run down your cheek and you'd understand why I now do this twice a year (we also collect toys for a Christmas in July promotion, so we can deliver again and help more children smile)," said Wise.

This year's collection was one of the biggest. "Many of our collected toys (probably over 50 toys) get to be stored in a 'special closet' at Riley so that the smiles can continue months after we leave.  Nurses don't have to enter rooms with just IV's and needles; but, can soften their entrance with a Star Wars toy, Dora The Explorer or other toy that makes their stay a little more bearable," said Wise. 

We also had our own Brewhouse baby admitted to Riley recently which made this year really hit home with the team. "One of our own management team members had a daughter get admitted just weeks ago with 5 tumors on her brain.  Like most things in our lives that we take for granted, this really hits home when one of your own goes through an experience like this.  Thanks to Crystal Ward, Director of Employee & Guest Relations, she set up a 'Helping House Fund' for our team to donate to out of their weekly paychecks that we use for situations like this," said Wise.
 

"Thank you again, to all my team that helps organize this event.  Lauren Fiedler, Director of Marketing and Promotions, puts in many hours getting all the toys together from all our restaurants, categorizing by boy/girl/age and then loading up 3 cars full of bags for us to deliver.  Riley is always so accommodating as we come in the hospital.  And, 4 other people on my team volunteer to come with me and pass out the toys as well.  We even have to put on masks, gowns and gloves for some of the rooms; but, no child is ignored, no matter how sick or isolated they are. I also want to say thank you to our guests that also bought over 600 Red Wagons that we hung on our bar all month and donated $600 to the Riley Foundation.  We continue to collect and donate $1 for every cup of Red Wagon Hot Chocolate a guest orders at any of our restaurants.  Thank you for all your continued support of our community.  Happy Holidays from my personal family and Brewhouse family of over 1,000 employees!" said Wise.

Pictured: Tyler Thompson, Bruce McClain, Eric Schamp, Angie Vosmeier, Ryan Kellerman and Scott Wise.
"With the new expanded and remodeled wing of Riley Children's Hospital, we were able to visit 17 children ranging in age from 2 weeks old to 14 years old and every age in between.  Now, as a parent myself, I notice their reactions more than I used to and I'll tell you, the smiles come from the children; but, tears of joy come from many parents that have an echoing affect amongst all us elves delivering the toys," said Wise.