Piedmont Macon’s executive leadership team presented Mike Kaplan with a Community Hero Award for his work with a charity founded in memory of his daughter Merrie.

Merrie, who died at the age of 45 from a rare genetic condition known as Williams syndrome, always loved Christmas, said Jaime Kaplan, who is Mike’s sister and Merrie’s aunt.

“Christmas was a magical holiday for Merrie, and after she passed away, Mike didn’t want that to be the end,” she said. “Mike wanted others to experience the holiday the way Merrie did, so he had the idea of helping as many people as possible at Christmas. It became known as the Merrie Christmas Project.”

Mike, his wife Nancy and Jaime Kaplan had no idea the charity would grow as large as it has in such a short time. In the first five years, the Merrie Christmas Project has given away more than $500,000 worth of gifts to struggling Middle Georgia families. Each Christmas, families receive presents for their children, household necessities and a choice of a gasoline card, Uber card or monthlong bus pass.

In all, the Merrie Christmas Project has made Christmas a little brighter for 3,115 children and 1,500 adults since it began in 2019.

“We’ve helped a family who had twin babies sleeping on cardboard,” Jaime Kaplan said. “Other families have lost their houses in a fire, or one of the parents in the home was killed. Mike says this is salve for his soul. It’s helping him get through the loss of his daughter.”

Additionally, a spinoff of the Merrie Christmas Project is Merrie’s Closet, which provides clothes – ranging from shirts, pants and sweatshirts to diapers, underwear and socks -- to the less fortunate through a partnership with the Bibb County school system.

“There is a big need out there,” Jaime Kaplan said. “We wish we could do more. So many people are struggling.”

Stephen J. Daugherty, CEO of Piedmont Macon Medical Center and Piedmont Macon North Hospital, said Mike’s contributions to Middle Georgia are immeasurable.

“Mike Kaplan’s work to lift up the less fortunate in this community is a testament to the kind of person he is,” Daugherty said. “Mike and his family have found a way to turn their loss into a blessing for so many others, which keeps Merrie’s memory alive. That kind of dedication to the people of Middle Georgia is what makes Mike a sterling example of what it means to be a community hero.”

Piedmont Macon’s Community Hero Award is presented quarterly to a deserving individual. After soliciting nominations from the community and hospital employees, Piedmont Macon’s executive leadership team selects a winner. Along with the award, the recipient will also receive $500 for the charity or nonprofit organization of his or her choice. Mike Kaplan is Piedmont Macon’s fifth recipient of the award.