Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center celebrates a summer of miracles through local business partnerships.
Customers across North Carolina support improvements to pediatric care at Duke Children’s by shopping at local retailers participating in the fundraising campaign running from May through August.
As one of 170 hospitals in the Children’s Miracle Network, Duke Children’s regularly participates in peer-to-peer programs and partners with businesses to raise money for children’s health. This summer, the hospital partnered with companies such as Costco, Publix, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Dairy Queen and Ace Hardware to raise funds.
“Summer is the busiest fundraising season for CMN hospitals,” Emily Mitch Ward, director of partnerships and cause marketing at Duke Children’s, wrote in an email to The Chronicle.
Duke Children’s has also entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with two local ice cream shops – Andia’s Ice Cream and Goodberry’s Frozen Custard – to create unique, limited-time ice cream flavors. All proceeds from these flavors will go to Duke Children’s, with a portion directed to special programs such as Child Life, which provides emotional support to patients through play, education and self-expression opportunities.
“We are in the business of making people happy, and part of that is giving back to our community,” Andia’s marketing director Alyssa Xouris wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Duke Children’s Hospital has really touched our hearts since the beginning, so it was a no-brainer for us to partner.”
Andia’s invited Champion Patient Ambassadors – Duke Children’s patients who “serve as the faces of Duke Children’s fundraisers” – to its production kitchen to create a special flavor to sell in July. The result was Duke Children’s Chocberry Delight: dark chocolate and strawberry ice cream with homemade vanilla cake drizzled with white chocolate.
“Andia loves children more than anything, so she really enjoyed working with and getting to know the inspiring patient champions,” wrote Xouris.
This month, Goodberry’s is also selling a special ice cream flavor named after Harper Harrell, a Patient Champion ambassador. For every serving of Harper’s Strawberry Delight sold, one dollar will be donated to the hospital.
In addition, all coins thrown into Goodberry’s fountain will be donated to Duke Children’s as part of the Fountains of Hope campaign.
“Because we are a North Carolina-based company, we love to partner with local organizations with strong values and missions,” wrote Goodberry CEO Henry Braithwaite. “Duke Children’s has outstanding clinical research and provides outstanding care to children around the world. We wanted to support their mission to bring healing to patients and their families.”
Duke Children’s plans to continue its corporate philanthropy activities beyond the summer as it celebrates its 40th anniversary as a CMN Hospitals member this year. Past fundraising events have included the MIX 101.5 Hope Radiothon for Duke Children’s and a private practice with the Duke Men’s Basketball Team.
After a successful first season, the hospital hopes to expand its partnerships with local ice cream retailers.
“Duke Children’s is very dear to our hearts. Any time we have the opportunity to support them and their mission in the future, we hope to do so,” Braithwaite wrote. “We want to bring a smile to as many patients and their families as possible with our Frozen Custard.”
Andia also expressed his desire to continue the partnership with Duke Children’s.
“We already have exciting new ideas for future fundraising efforts with Duke Children’s,” Xouris wrote. “We hope to continue this partnership for many years to come so we can have an even greater impact on the lives of these incredibly strong families.”
CMN’s fundraising efforts have raised $47,945,174.07 for Duke Children’s Hospital to date. According to Ward, this year’s Summer of Miracles campaigns are expected to raise over $1 million total for Duke Children’s.
“All funds raised in these programs support Duke Children’s mission to provide the highest quality patient care, to be a global leader in cutting-edge pediatric research, and to educate the pediatricians of tomorrow,” Ward wrote.
To shop at a local store affiliated with the hospital, customers are encouraged to look for yellow and red Miracle Balloons to donate at stores in the Triangle, Piedmont Triad, Fayetteville and Wilmington areas.
“We hope that our community will continue to be generous and supportive throughout the remainder of the summer months,” Ward wrote.
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| University News Editor
Kate Haver is a second-year student at Trinity College and University News Editor of the Chronicle’s 120th edition.