Primary Children's Personal Story / Plug For Pennies By The Inch

When I did Song Hospital, I told this story to my Primary:

Did you know there is an ACTUAL PRIMARY HOSPITAL? Yes! It's in Salt Lake City and it's called Primary Children's Medical Center. Have you ever been there? Do you know anyone who has had to stay there?

It was started in 1911 as a part of the main Hospital in Salt Lake City. Primary Association Officers Louie Felt and May Anderson started the children's part of the hospital after seeing a child on crutches in the street and realizing the need for a Children's Wing of the Hospital. In 1922 Primary Children's opened as a child-only Hospital in a building all by itself. In 1975 the LDS Church donated Primary Children's to Intermountain Healthcare. In 1990 it was moved to the building it is in now.

A while ago Primary Children's used to ask Primary Children just like you to help them pay for the costs of keeping the Hospital running. They used to keep cans in the Primary Room for collecting pennies and put on penny parades. Children loved being able to donate their pennies to help the sick kids at Primary Children's. Today we can still donate to Primary Children's through a program called Pennies By The Inch. [here I will insert my personal story, which includes my son's stay at PCMC]
Thousands of children are helped at Primary Children's every year.

My son in PICU at Primary Children's Medical Center.

2013 Songs Introduction Program

Have adult singing groups come in. Start looking at Teachers, then Parents, then other talented adults.

Our 2013 Song Introduction Program went like this:

I Am a Child of God 2 (v1, v2, v3 + descant on violin)
solo or split up verses

My Heavenly Father Loves Me 228 (v1 & v2)
women's group

If The Savior Stood Beside Me (sheet music) (v1 & v2 & v3) -
men - split up verses

April - you choose the song (we haven't chosen one yet, so this was skipped...)

May - you choose the song (we haven't chosen one yet, so this was skipped...)

When I Am Baptized 103 (v1 & v2)
woman solo

Families Can Be Together Forever 188
family come in and sing

A Child's Prayer 12
husband and wife duet

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We did this on the first Sunday of 2013. We combined both JR & SR Primaries during the first hour. It took about 15-20 minutes. If you get the whole sharing + music time, then plan extra activities.

Also, since the theme this year is "I Am a Child of God" I had each person say "I am Sister ___, and I am a Child of God", then the piano started and they sang their song. It tied it all together and was a nice touch to the whole program.

Afterwards I had extra time (I get all the time, singing and sharing, on the first Sunday of the month) so I did my I Am a Child of God introduction lesson.

Having adults sing to the kids was amazing. At first the children starting singing along with I Am a Child of God. It was cute. By the end there were many wet eyes in the room, including mine. I had to go up in front of everyone with wet eyes. It's okay, I'm only one month into this and the the children are quickly learning that my eyes tend to leak a lot.  :)