Ellington

As a freshman, Alysha Greig could not believe that with so many clubs and organizations at the UW, nothing was offered in correlation with Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“I was shocked that there was no club here for Children’s, which is barely a mile away,” Greig said. “I almost felt that it was my responsibility to start up something for the hospital. I knew it would have a lot of interest, given good leadership.”

In high school, Greig was president of the Children’s Hospital club.

“I loved to give other people my age the opportunity to help,” she said. “I now attend a university with over 40,000 students. Having a leadership role on such a large campus provides opportunity to make really great things happen.”

Last year, Greig founded Huskies United in Giving (HUG) for Seattle Children’s Hospital. According to the Seattle Children’s Guild Association, there were a few other clubs at the UW similar to this, but they were short-lived, making HUG the only organization of its kind on campus today.

HUG’s mission is to provide UW students the opportunity to get involved with and support Seattle Children’s Hospital through fundraisers, drives and volunteer work — both within and outside of the hospital.

The student response to HUG has exceeded Greig’s expectations. Within a few hours of sending out her first e-mail about the club, she received more than 100 responses from interested students.

So far, HUG’s accomplishments include volunteering in the hospital playroom each month, volunteering at the Seattle Festival of Trees to benefit uncompensated care (health care that is provided to low-income patients and their families), volunteering at Monster Bash (which raised more than $4,000 for uncompensated care), and organizing a toy drive, which raised more than $2,700 in toys for kids at the hospital.

This year, senior Jenni Beatty has taken over as HUG president.

“We have heard from multiple students that they think the club is great, that they have had a lot of fun taking part in our events, and that they really feel like they are making a difference,” Beatty said.

This quarter, HUG will collaborate with the pre-med society on campus, Alpha Epsilon Delta, to make fleece blankets for kids at the hospital, as well as organize a bake sale or coin drive to raise start-up funds for a fundraiser during spring quarter. The club will also volunteer at the KISS 106.1 Radiothon in March to raise money for Children’s.

Kim Korte, director of the Child Life Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, said that the hospital has a strong affiliation with the UW. For years, various UW sports teams and individual students have made visits to the hospital’s playroom to interact with the patients.

“The HUG members are a part of a large and diverse group of individuals who freely give their time and energy to make a hospital stay easier for children and their families,” Korte said. “Families consistently express their gratitude when they are able to have volunteers come and visit their child, perhaps allowing the parent or caregiver to take a much-needed break.”

Children’s Hospital is able to provide high-quality items, such as clothes and games, to patients and families due to donations from groups such as HUG. The support from groups in the hospital’s Guild Association and individuals who volunteer their time brings smiles to the faces of patients and families.

“We especially appreciate our playroom volunteers who are also guild members as they have a strong commitment to the hospital, are a constant support to us, and are some of our most long-term volunteers,” Korte said. “Members of the HUG group definitely fall into this category. We look forward to the energy and enthusiasm these people bring to their volunteer role each week.”

This appreciation is a two-way street. Not only do patients and families enjoy visits from HUG volunteers, but the club’s members feel like they are making a difference in these children’s lives.

“Everyone at the hospital has been so kind and gracious to us as we work on getting this organization up and running,” Beatty said. “Interacting directly with the kids and being able to make them smile and help them have fun makes us feel like we are making a small but significant impact. This positive response has made us want to work even harder to help these kids.”

Reach reporter Lauren Becherer at lifestyles@dailyuw.com.