Jeans Day at Salina Regional Health Center started in October 2009 as a fundraiser to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness month for the Tammy Walker Cancer Center. Since then, it has exceeded expectations so much that it expanded to help several area non-profit organizations and has become part of the employee culture at Salina Regional Health Center.  Non-clinical and support personnel who want to wear jeans can donate $5 on Friday’s or during Jeans Week with all proceeds going to a designated local non-profit organization for that month. The Jeans Day initiative has donated over $228,000 to area charities since its conception.

“The project goes further than allowing employees the comfort of wearing jeans on Fridays and raising money for good causes, says Stacie Maes, executive assistant at Salina Regional Health Center. “It helps increase awareness for many nonprofit organizations and charitable services in our community.”

In September, Jeans Day raised $881.00 for the Love, Chloe Foundation, whose mission is to provide hope for families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis with immediate financial and family support while raising awareness and contributing to the funding of childhood cancer research. “The support from SRHC Jeans Day will go to support area families with financial assistance, warrior wagons and gas cards,” says Heidi Feyerherm-Smith, President/Founder of Love, Chloe Foundation. “Families in central Kansas travel an average of three hours each way to get to treatment. These funds will help to alleviate some of the financial burden that a childhood cancer diagnosis has on a family.”

A monthly email goes out to all Salina Regional Health Center employees that gives a description about the designated non-profit organization for that month and explains what they do for the community. The employees who donate receive a “Jeans Day” sticker to show they made their donation. Charities have already been identified as future recipients well into 2025.