"Safari Trail" delights patients at Children's Hospital
A success story for SCI and Children's Hospital
by Sharon Henson

The Alabama Chapter of Safari Club International has created a unique "Holiday Trail" at the Children's Hospital in Birmingham. This gift was made possible through the generosity of SCI member, Richard McFalls, who donated his family's 30-year collection of Disney memorabilia to SCI which in turn, jointly donated the Disney collection to Children's Hospital.

The Chapter also has hosted several fund-raising events to further benefit this humanitarian project.
Images of hunting wild African big game: lions, leopards, Cape buffalo, giraffes and elephants, are the usual subjects associated with the name - Safari Club International. However, SCI is also becoming known for its contributions to many worthwhile conservation and humanitarian causes and programs such as: Sportsman Against Hunger; Sensory Safari (for the blind to be able learn by touching the animal taxidermy mounts). SCI also donated 173 unabridged books-on-tape to the Sensory Safari.

Additionally, SCI supports Safari Wheels (supplying wheelchairs to people around the world), Safari Care (supplying medical and educational needs to the needy around the world) and Disabled Hunters.
SCI's enchanting "Holiday Trail" opened with much fanfare just in time for the 2003 holiday season! The one-of-a-kind displays included 21 animated Disney characters over two feet tall complete with motion, lights and music. The unique collection is exhibited in two large glass cases on the second floor of the hospital above the main lobby. The Children's Hospital "Holiday Trail" has since been expanded to cover all seasons and groundwork plans are under review to complete a permanent "SCI Safari Trail."

"McFalls has additionally donated five Tom duBois's one-of-a-kind, signed Disney Prints. Each of the prints feature hidden Disney characters in the pictures including Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland and Cinde-rella. Mark Smith of Décor-N-More did the matting and framing of the pictures.The prints are numbered and valued at $2,000 each," said Randall Bush, SCI's Regional Representative.

McFall's second donation includes 250 Disney beanbag toys, 60 Disney collector's plates, 60 bas-relief movie theme plates, 20 Disney carousels and 55 Disney snow globes. The Children's Hospital also received $30,000 Charles Dickens Christmas Village display from Bassetts of Birmingham. Display cases were designed to house this unique collection.
"The results are quite magnificent," admits McFalls. He would like to see the Trail grow; and create a display of all children's wildest fantasies. "The success of the project was a joint effort on the parts of several individuals," McFalls said. "Without Randall, we wouldn't be where we are today in SCI; his dedication and leadership is unsurpassed."

*Photos of SCI's "Safari Trail" submitted by Denise Dexter