Oct 17, 2008
Union Hospital gift shop teams with toy business to benefit othersBy Crystal GarciaTribStar.com

Terre Haute — The Union Hospital gift shop’s new partnership means that more than just the customer benefits from a purchase.

The shop kicked off its partnership with Wonfurwons, a stuffed toy business based in Fort Wayne that gives a smaller stuffed toy to hospitals and other not-for-profit organizations.

Wonfurwons are sold in the gift shop for $12.99 each. Once bought, the buyer can go online at www.wonfurwons.com to register the stuffed toy and choose what local organization they would like a smaller stuffed toy donated to.

At the beginning of each quarter, shipments of the smaller stuffed toys are sent to the organizations. Local organizations that receive the stuffed toys are Union Hospital, Catholic Charities and Wabash Valley Surgery Center.

The idea started in July 2007, when president and co-founder Thomas Latrella saw a news story about Warren Buffet and Bill Gates donating money and thought he’d do the same if he had a lot of money. He didn’t want to wait until he made money, though, and came up with the idea of Wonfurwons to give something away for every something that they sell, said Latrella, 30.

“Now we’re making our difference, we’re doing our part from the beginning,” he said.

One hundred percent of profits from the gift shop go to the Union Hospital Foundation, which in turn goes back to the hospital, said Ann Welch, president of the Service League at the hospital and volunteer at the gift shop.

With today being Sweetest Day, Welch said they felt Friday was the perfect day to launch the program as Sweetest Day was originally created as a day to donate items and to take care of the poor.

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