Packing the truck!

MARION, IL – May 18, 2011 – For about an hour Tuesday night, a caravan of white vans out-performed the showroom of gleaming motorcycles at Black Diamond Harley-Davidson. Just days ago when the Salvation Army’s call went out to “Stuff-A-Truck”, Petersen Health Care facilities across Southern Illinois answered to help victims of the recent record-setting rainfall and flooding. PHC Facility Teams sprang into action collecting necessities like cleaning supplies and water.

A long line of the company’s signature white vans, dubbed the “Petersen Health Care-A-Van”, rolled into Black Diamond all at once and the Dealership’s staff was prepared according to Herb Voss, Regional Marketing Director for the Peoria-based company. “We called ahead and let them know we were coming” Voss said. “So they had a special truck and trailer all ready for us. They were amazing.”

The considerable collections from the Petersen homes almost overwhelmed the trailer. Voss said, “At first I thought ‘That’s a big trailer”, but as the vans kept rolling up I thought ‘I hope it’s large enough!’”

When asked why the collections were so successful, Marsha McKinney, Administrator of the White Oak Rehab and Health Care Center said “We’re caregivers. It’s in our D.N.A. to help others. We do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So we don’t ask questions accept maybe ‘When should we be there?””

In addition to White Oak RHCC in Mt. Vernon, the participating Petersen Facilities included the Benton Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, in Benton, Enfield Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Enfield, IL, the Jonesboro Rehabilitation & Health Care Center in Jonesboro, the Mt. Vernon Health Care Center in Mt. Vernon, the Rosiclare Rehab and Health Care Center in Rosiclare, the Shawnee Rose Care Center in Harrisburg, the Westside Rehab and Health Care Center in West Frankfort and Whispering Oaks in Rosiclare.

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