Miracle Makers: Silly Hats for Kids

Miracle Makers is a series of 30 stories from Walmart and Sam’s Club associates to celebrate the companies’ 30th anniversary of fundraising for CMN Hospitals

If you visit the Walmart in Ashland, Virginia, you’ll probably notice a cashier sporting a very large, very silly hat.

Brenda Butler’s unique accessory isn’t just a fashion statement. It’s one of the many ways she calls attention to helping children in need.

“The hat really helps me start a conversation with customers at my register,” Brenda says. “It gives me a chance to tell them about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and how their donation can help all of these children and their families.”

Each year, Brenda sets a goal for the amount of donations she hopes to collect for Children’s Hospital of Richmond as customers come through her checkout line. During the 2016 campaign, she set a goal of $3,000. That goal was met and exceeded through the generosity of her customers, one of which was so taken by Brenda’s festive hat that she offered to buy it herself.

“I told a customer that I needed $15 to make my goal, and so she asked if she could buy my hat for $15,” Brenda says. “I met my goal to help out the kids, and she walked away with the hat.”

As a grandma to seven healthy grandchildren, Brenda is motivated to help families who aren’t as fortunate. “I’m not nervous to ask customers to donate, because it is such a good cause. You just have to stay positive and think of all the children who will be helped by what you are doing,” she says.

Want to make a donation? Talk to your local Walmart or Sam’s Club cashier today!