Playing With My Ding A Ling in Support of CMN Hospitals

Good morning, Houston!

Are we happy this fine September morning?

In the mood to support a worthy cause?

No, I'm not talking about your favorite local college football team.

Don't let the UH victory over Oklahoma over the Labor Day weekend go to your head...Lamar could kick the Cougars over-confident asses next week and then what do you think will happen to that high spot in the new polls?

Hee, hee!

No, I'm talking about the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

I'm writing, this morning, because I want to encourage you to help me play with....

My Ding a Ling (With humble apologies to the great Chuck Berry!)

When I went to work at Wal-Mart one late Summer day
My CSM brought me something with which to play
Black, with a white handle, it was a cute little thing
I call it my ding a ling a ling

Parents came shopping for school
Buying supplies to help Junior learn and not grow into a fool
When they paid and donated a dollar, making my register ring,
I'd grab and wiggle my ding a ling

Then a love struck boy came looking for the perfect jewel
But he was undecided so bought a garden tool
When he paid and donated five dollars my register would ring
And I began swinging my ding a ling

Once things were slow as I waited for y'all
Climbing a ladder, stocking a shelf, I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell against the counter and my head did ring
but at least I didn't damage my ding a ling

I remember a woman who came to my store
Bought lots of things to clean the kitchen floor
She donated ten dollars and I thought it was such a wonderful thing
That I happily wagged my ding a ling

A man came to get a license to fish in the Bayou
Catching his own dinner was what he wanted to do
Buying a rod & reel he donated fifty dollars when he paid for these things
So, with both hands, I enthusiastically waved my ding a ling

A young girl with long flowing hair
Strutting her stuff so big and bold
Wanted some beer, but I told her "you're not that old"
Such vile words you wouldn't believe can come from such a sweet young thing
Since she didn't donate I sadly couldn't shake my ding a ling

This here song I hope it makes you glad
Supporting a cause that I think is rad
Shopping at Wal-Mart please consider donating when you buy something
So you can tell your friends you saw me ringing my ding a ling

My ding a ling
My ding a ling
You saw me ringing my ding a ling

Oh my ding a ling!

My ding a ling!

I love ringing my ding a ling...!!!

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals began in 1983.

The idea was to increase funds and awareness for local children’s hospitals across the nation and Canada thus help kids live better through better healthcare.

It has raised more than $5 billion—most of it $1 at a time—for 170 children’s hospitals.

These donations support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

On their website it is put this way...

"Right now there’s a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital working to save the lives of kids in your community. In fact, 62 children enter a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment every minute — that's one child every second.

Some are battling cancer. Some are suffering from a traumatic injury. Others require constant care because they were born too early, or with a genetic disease.

Regardless of why the kids are there, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals always have their doors open."

There are a number of hospitals in Texas that CMN supports and the one in Houston is Texas Children's Hospital.

Built in 1954 it is the nation’s largest freestanding pediatric hospital with 639 licensed beds and services offered in nearly every pediatric specialty and subspecialty.

Learn more about the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals efforts here.

Learn more about Texas Children's Hospital here.

Walmart is a corporate partner whose stores raise money, every year, through donations, to support this hospital and make a huge difference for the kids, including raising childhood cancer awareness.

Nationally, it's not the only hospital, though.

Since 1987, Walmart & Sam's Club have raised nearly $1 billion dollars to help kids live better through better health care.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with the Walmart Foundation or the Sam’s Club Giving Program I encourage you to check them out...what they have done in the wake of the recent flooding in Louisiana is just a tip of the iceberg of what they have done over the years.

"The Walmart Foundation meets the needs of the under-served by directing charitable giving toward our core areas of focus: Opportunity, Sustainability and Community."

On the CMN website is a page that allows you to find hospitals by zip code or state.

Each hospital has a page on the site that tells you a little about them and even who their corporate sponsors are so you can shop there and donate.

You can donate at the register through Oct. 9

If you like my little song and think people you know in your social networks would like to donate the next time they shop...please share the link to this post far and wide.

NOTE: The idea for this post came to me, yesterday morning, when I came to my lane to start my shift and didn't see a bell. Walmart Corporate had nothing to do with it, hee, hee!

The first thought that popped into my head was..."where the hell is my ding a ling?"

I soon found one, but those three words stayed stuck in my head for an hour and thinking of that old song by Chuck Berry got me to wondering if I could write a variation of it to support this worthy cause.

I talked a CSM into taking a cell phone picture of me and took another at the CMN wall display outside our break room and began thinking about the song during my breaks and lunch.

What convinced me I was on the right track were the laughs I got from people who asked me why I was ringing the bell after they donated and, after I thanked them, I told them that every time someone contributed a donation I did my best Chuck Berry imitation.