For Denver Zags, Game Watches Mean Service

By Autumn Jones ('10) 

Babies in the Denver area are off to a better start thanks to the Gonzaga University: Denver Chapter. During the WCC and NCAA tournaments, Denver Zags collected baby items for Denver Health’s Newborns in Need program. The program provides “Warm Welcome” bags for babies born into families who are struggling financially. Each bag includes diapers, a sleep sack, bibs, socks, hats, sleepers, baby lotion and shampoo, a stuffed animal, and a book.  

Denver Zags donated 56 packages of wipes, 34 onesies, 30 packages of diapers, 18 bottles of lotion and shampoo, 17 bibs and burp cloths, and 11 sleepers. Every Zag who donated an item received a free drink courtesy of the Pub on Pearl, the Chapter’s game watch location. 

Dan Runnalls, registered level one trauma nurse at Denver Health and 2001 graduate of Gonzaga University, proposed the idea of a baby drive during the 2017 tournament games. 
“There is a huge need for babies and mothers in poverty,” said Runnals. “We serve a lot of that population in the city.”

Each year, nearly 3,300 babies are born at Denver Health Medical Center, and many of the families are living below the poverty level. 

A core aspect of the Denver Zags is to continue living the mission of Gonzaga University by serving others and building community. This is the second year the Denver Zags collected baby items for Newborns in Need.

“We are able to bring our experience at Gonzaga and our experience of community into the real world, to show others that we care,” said Runnals, who was drawn to healthcare after graduation. “People want to serve. They all have that Gonzaga heart.”

To find out more about the Denver Zags, visit the Gonzaga Alumni Association website or email denverzags@gmail.com.  

Follow Autumn's personal blog: The Faithful Writer