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Jared Boxes Delivered To Sick Children At Geisinger

PLAINS TOWNSHIP — Load them up and move them out. That’s what baseball players from King’s College, along with students from Pocono Mountain S...

PLAINS TOWNSHIP -- Load them up and move them out.

That's what baseball players from King's College, along with students from Pocono Mountain Schools did at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Luzerne County.

They carried several large bags full of "Jared Boxes" for sick children at the hospital near Wilkes-Barre.

The boxes, named after a former Geisinger patient, contain everything from crayons and coloring books, to bubbles and footballs.

Anything to make kids smile, and make their stay at the hospital just a bit easier.

"It's just joy. They forget they're in the hospital, they forget the hospital bed and IV's they're hooked up to, they just enjoy spending time and receiving gifts, so its good joy for all," says Rob Lemoncelli of King's College.

"Makes me feel good, and happy, helping out the sick kids," says Markwan Thomas of Pocono Mountain Schools.

For Spencer Shuman and his mother Tonia, seeing smiling faces, and the company makes their time at the hospital so much better.

"Just to show someone else cares, besides mom, you know? So it makes a big deal," says Tonia Shuman, Spencer's mother.

King's players and Pocono Mountain students have been doing this drive for the past four years and this year alone, they've collected more than 1000 Jared Boxes to give to sick kids.

"They literally put the boxes together, they just do a great job and just to know our patients and our kids appreciate it, is remarkable," says John Buckley, Administrator at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.

Jerry Greeley teaches in Pocono Mountain. He's also the King's College baseball coach. He says he started the Jared Boxes program as a way to help his students and players, give back.

"We have a motto to help make a sick kid happy and that sums it all up in a nutshell and that's what we try to bring across to everyone, make a sick kid happy," says Jerry Greeley.

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