Some patients at Children’s of Alabama are riding in style after a donation of wagons by Sarrell Dental.

A nonprofit dental health organization in Athens, Sarrell Dental recently banded employees together from its 17 locations across the state to decorate the wagons, used by the hospital to transport sick children between rooms.

The Operation Red Wagon project is one of many ways medical staff try to make more comforting the scary experience of being at a hospital for an extended period of time while undergoing treatments for cancer, trauma or burns.

Hospital workers said the wagons, which are painted in bright colors or decorated with popular characters from cartoon shows or movies, are often what children remember most from their stay at the facility.

Each Sarrell office was tasked to come up with a custom design for their wagon. They started at the beginning of June, ordering assembling and finally designing the wagons. The Athens team decided to go with a beach theme, based on the popularity of the Disney-Pixar film “Finding Dory.” Other offices chose themes based on Batman, SpongeBob SquarePants and Pokemon.

“Needless to say, the response was overwhelming and the final designs were incredible,”

Rainwater wrote in a press release. “You could tell that the child-friendly staff at Sarrell truly put their hearts into their work.”

The wagons were brought to the hospital on July 27, much to the delight of staff and patients.

“The experience was unforgettable; to see the excitement and joy on each child’s face as we walked all 17, brightly painted wagons through the lobby of the hospital,” Rainwater said. “It was awesome.”

The staff toured the building where the wagons are kept, washed and cared for. Seeing how a simple thing like a red wagon makes a difference for a sick kid made the entire experience worthwhile, she said

“This philanthropic effort is an important part of our ongoing commitment to support the families in Alabama and improve the well-being of their children — whether that’s through dental care to ensure healthy teeth and gums or by facilitating programs, such as this Red Wagon donation to Children’s of Alabama Hospital, that will bring a smile to children,” Rainwater said.