Academy Store Director Randy Smiley, Ginnie Covey, Education Program Specialist, Patricia Tish Cline and Bill Wells pose in a group photo after gifting nurses gift cards on Friday. 

Hannah Williams, a nurse on the labor and delivery unit, was one among 60 nurses at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital to be surprised Friday afternoon with a gift from Academy Sports and Outdoors for National Nurses Month.

Williams was especially excited because it meant so much to her.

“We have been so recognized through this period, that we’ve been just almost spoiled by the love and generosity that we have from the community that are just acknowledging the work that we do here. That meant so much to be awarded that prize today and it’s just so special,” Williams said.

Williams said she is debating whether or not to use her gift card to spoil someone else or buy herself a bathing suit for the summer.

“Thank you so much for all you do for us and the acknowledgement that the community has provided to the hospital. It means a lot to all the nurses here,” Williams said.

The sporting goods store chain gifted the cards to celebrate National Nurses Month. Representatives from Academy were at the hospital to present each nurse with a $50 gift card. The donation was Academy’s way of thanking local nurses for being the heroes on the frontlines of the ongoing pandemic.

At the beginning of the month, between 12,000 to 15,000 nurses across the Christus Mother Frances Hospital were entered into a raffle for a chance to win a gift card from Academy. Sixty nurses were randomly selected to win the award.

“As we think about frontline workers and all the sacrifices they’ve made, we want to partner with community and recognize those that have been making those sacrifices and we just thought this was a great partner to work with to celebrate National Nurses Month and to give back,” said Academy Regional Marketing Specialist Bill Wells.

He said Christus Health is a phenomenal partner in the community and Academy recognizes them as a major contributor in the community.

“Our goal is just to recognize a few and just a small giveback to a few that have made some large sacrifices. You think about the pandemic and everything that’s going on, the healthcare workers, there’s a lot of hours, they’ve made a lot of commitments, they made personal sacrifices, they work very hard and normally, it’s National Nurses Week, but this year in celebration is National Nurses Month and it should probably be national nurses year because of the last year,” Wells said.

Wells said he experienced the care Christus offered last year when his mother was in the facility.

“I got to personally see and experience these nurses at their best. Just phenomenal care, phenomenal sacrifice of just making themselves available and the friendliness and the care,” Wells said.

Patrica Cline, education program specialist at Christus, works closely with nurses to make sure they’re properly educated.

“Our nurses did a superb job this year, no matter what was thrown our way, we continued to do our mission, which is serving back and being that extension of the healing hands of Jesus Christ. We all know that all of us face many challenges, especially nurses and especially hospitals with the care that we provided for our patients during this pandemic, and we have continued to be very successful with what we’re doing. No matter what was asked of them, our nurses rolled up their sleeves and did it. They continue to do that,” Cline said.

She said Academy was the supreme sporting good outlet and she is honored they partnered with Christus to give the gift to their wonderful nurses.

“There is no words. There is no action that can thank them enough,” Cline said about nurses at Christus,” she said.