Hometown Businesses Honor Local Health Care Heroes

Advocate South Suburban Hospital President Rashard Johnson, joined by several registered nurses, recently accepted a gift of $10,000 and lunch for 200 team members, in honor of the hospital’s continued service to the surrounding community.

The donation was provided by CN Railway as part of a larger initiative to show appreciation to health care heroes on the pandemic’s frontline. CN is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with a corporate campus in Homewood, Illinois – the town adjacent to Hazel Crest, where the hospital resides.

“Serving those who are working so hard and sacrificing so much to serve the community has been a foundation of CN’s COVID-19 response. As our community hospital, we wanted to be sure to support those [at Advocate South Suburban] who also call our community home,” said Larry Lloyd, CN's Manager of Government and Public Affairs. “Thank you to the frontline care workers of South Suburban Hospital.”

Recognizing that the pandemic continues to challenge health care workers on many levels, CN requested that the donated funds go to the President’s Fund to support the hospital's greatest need. In addition, CN Railway donated 200 personal pizzas provided by Aurelio’s Pizza in Homewood.

“We are truly grateful for this unexpected gift, which is a testament to Advocate South Suburban’s standing and value to the community,” said Ann Hartnett, Director of Development, Advocate South Suburban and Advocate Trinity.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, CN has donated over $1 million to support a variety of non-profits hit by COVID-19. Similar donations provided meals for health care workers in Montreal, Baton Rouge and Edmonton, Alabama.