Hadi Shriners Accept Check for Quest For A Million Pennies

After a lost year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hadi Shriners once again reached their goal of the monetary donation of the equivalent of over one million pennies. The grand total - 1,219,850 pennies, or $12,198.50.

WITZ's Gene Kuntz spoke with Captain of Hadi Hospital Staff Carl Shomate live from German American Bank. Shomate shared how the million-plus pennies will be put to good use.

“This money that is donated allows us to take the children, the precious children, to the Shriner Hospitals, it covers the cost,” Shomate said.

Shomate shared just how far the Shriners will go to help children in need.

“Before the pandemic, we would have somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 trips which equates to 75,000 miles,” Shomate said. “Anyone that knows anything about the equator -  24,901 miles around the equator, and we lapped the world three times taking these children to the Shriner Hospital."

The $12,198.50 check was presented to the Hadi Shriners by German American Bank Financial Center Manager Brittany Massey.

The Hadi Shriners service hospitals in St. Louis, Lexington, Cincinnati and Chicago.