BIRMINGHAM — Children’s of Alabama teamed up with Spire to ensure children in the hospital on Valentine’s Day feel special.

Tuesday morning, staff from the Alabama Children’s Hospital foundation handed out Valentine’s cards and goody bags filled with items such as stuffed animals and coloring sheets to patients in the hospital. It is part of an online card drive that began on Feb. 1. More than 4,700 cards were sent.

“It is just so heartwarming to know that there are so many people and organizations in Alabama that would take the time to send cards to our patients,” said Mindy Wald, community development manager at Children’s of Alabama. “This simple act gave our patients a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day despite being hospitalized.”

The card drive is sponsored by Spire, a proud sponsor of Children’s since 2017. Spire also matched donations made by donors during this card drive, up to $5,000.

“Seeing all of the smiling faces this Valentine’s Day makes all of us at Spire proud to be a part of this program,” said Joe Hampton, president of Spire Alabama, Mississippi and Gulf Coast.